PASSIFLORA RADIANCE / metaphysical graphics

+RADIANT GRAPHICS+

>(tonight is very special)<

> / FOR OUR FAMILY+

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

>tonights blog includes looks at personal events<

>of new orleans, baton rouge & our family w/<

+(BOOKS OF LIFE & /+

+WORK GRAPHICS)+

>graphics reflecting our early development<

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

+ART & PLANTS+

>as well as family was always important in my<

>lexicon of early life interests which may give<

+TROPIQUE, MAGIQUE+

+/ METAPHYSIQUE+

>some insight to my fascination w/ the photos<

>by artist nilly gill of her night bloom cerus<

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

+TONIGHT'S PHOTOS HAVE+

>(family metaphysic<

>collage graphics)<

+NOT BEEN SEEN BEFORE+

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

>watercolors inspired by the plant kingdom are<
>important to my early evolution that led to a<
+(PLANT KINGDOM+
+@ L.S.U./ 4/ 1965)+
>strong phase of color, light, energy design<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 >new orleans river road creole cottages &<
>voudou practice was a strong interest in<
+(PASSIFLORA GRAPHICS+
+VOUDOU THEME, 1972)+
>much of my early collage graphic work<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 >illustrated letter graphics photo collage became<
>my means of communicating to aged family<
+(XEROGRAPHY BECAME+
+CORRESP. ART IN 1970)+
>with xerography the affordable medium<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 >in the early seventies our aged father had one<
>of the first brain scans in new orleans so this<
+(R. J. RAY SENIOR HAS+
+#1 NOLA BRAINSCAN)+
>humorous collage graphic was sent to him<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
                                      
 >our father lived to be 92 years old and this<
>brain scan was a big deal to all of us,  but<
+(DAD / SIGNAL CORPS VET+
+HAD RARE CAR / GARDEN+
>I'm sure the real machine wasn't this bad<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 >our mother grew up in new orleans near the<
>old foucher-de bore plantation (tulane) of<
+(MARDI  GRAS HISTORY+
+WAS MOTHER'S FUEL)+
>our father's family and was a scholar of<
>old new orleans mardi gras history<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

>in 1942 my artist-magician brother , ranny<
>and i pose proudly in front of our new<
+(RANNY READ BOOKS /+
+AS HE WALKED MILES)+
>family "bungalow" where 5 years<
>later i saw a silver mother ship<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
                                     
 >during the war harding field military air base<
>provided us w/ a full gamut of aircraft but in<
+(NO WINGS OR SOUND+
+IT WAS OBSERVANT)+
>1947 suddenly from the west came a craft<
>(mother ship) totally new to our world<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 >ranny as a boy (w/ our mother) was a talented<
>source of vibrant energy, center of attention<
+(RANNY IN OUR FAMILY+
+WAS A VIBRANT STAR)+
>who drew an audience from miles around<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 >walker, our younger brother, inherited john<
>rays kind temperament…john ray became a<
+(WALKER INHERITED THE+
+JOHN RAY PERSONALITY)+
>legislator & judge so respected even his<
>enemies liked him (revised la. statutes)<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 >i treasure this photo of my friends john and<
>tania w/ bronwen and i in place d'arms of<
+(NEW ORLEANS RADIANT+
+IN THE WINTER OF 67-68)+
>thé vieux carre as i was making the color<
>light, energy projects become a reality<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 >earlier in baton rouge, spring of 1956 w/ my<
>bride marian and a new leica camera i was<
+(POETS SPRING WITH+
+A BRIDE & CAMERA)+
>galvanized by our pilgrimage to mexico &<
>building furniture & designing structures<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 >of all my family collage photo-graphics this<
>is my favorite because it stars the 2 seers of<
>our family who revealed to me that life was<
+(THEY USED the POWER+
+OF EGYPTIAN HORUS)+
>far more dynamic, mystical and cosmic then<
>the newspaper and pedestrians believed< !!!
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+IN RETROSPECT, OUR FAMILY+
+DESERVES FIRST PLACE IN+
>(life's family stars are<
>our most precious)<
+OUR MAIL ART LEXICON+
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
eugene ray, mfa, architect
professor emeritus, sdsu