FRENCH JUNGLE ESSENCE /

+METAMORPHIC RADIANCE+

+(NATURE OUR #1 GUIDE)+

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

>the french tropic ambience of creole louisiana<

>has been a powerful factor in my creative life<

+(FRENCH JUNGLE ESSENCE+

+GRUY-RAY PLANTATIONS)+

>tonight's blog focuses on that phenomena<

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

+"TRANSUBSTANTIATION"+ 

>of the raw organic jungle essence found by<
>our pioneer creole plantation ancestors into<
+(ART & ARCHITECTURE+
+REFLECTS ORGANICS)+

>creative art and architecture has been a joy<

 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

>our degruy ancestors cousins mary plantation<
>jungle world was typical of the early setting<
+(GRUY JUNGLE PLANTATION+
+on NEARBY INDIAN MOUND)+
>south of new orleans in the 18th century<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 >"pictors metamorphosis" restaurant, classic<
>example of my conscious effort to change<
+(RADIANT ARCHITECTURE+
+CHILD OF THE TROPICS)+
>a deep felt love for organics into >ART<)<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 >we must remember the rich french-african<

>world of the west indies was the same in<
+(VOUDOU RITUAL w/+
+AFRICAN DRUMS)+
>louisiana and i absorbed this influence<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 >my favorite photograph of the early 1950s<
>is our artist-seer brother ranny in his nola<
+(VIEUX CARRE SETTING+
+3 OF MY BEST WORKS)+
>vieux carre jungle garden environment<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

>last october we documented the radiant visit<
>to our de bresse/ray ancestors old plantation<
+(PLANTATION AMBIENCE+
+TOUCHES OUR HEART)+
>breston in north louisiana toward rayville<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

>talented southern artist, caroline youngblood<
>and father hugh gave us a marvelous tour of<
+(CAROLINE HAS SINCE+
+been MUCH HONORED)+
>breston. (walker & della ray enjoying this)<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 >the great marie laveau lived in the vieux carre<
>on st. anne street (same as degruy town house)<
+(VOUDOU ARTISTRY IS+
+A REVEALING STUDY)+
>and had laveau links to the degruy plantation<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 >the wooden carts constructed by jean baptiste<
>degruy for his friend jean lafitte, the privateer<
+(GOOGLE : EUGENE RAY+
+JEAN BAPTISTE deGRUY)+
>trundled through this alley, late in the night<
>(google has done a good service here)< !
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

>this apartment in the vieeux carre is a classic<
>example of my effort to metamorphose the<
+("AMERICAN HOME", 1969 /+
+JOHN MESSINA PHOTOS)+
>nola french creole jungle essence into art<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

>"morning of the magicians" is an excellent view<
>of the importance of alchemy in paris and was<
+(MORNING OF MAGICIANS+
+/ ALCHEMISTS IN PARIS)+
>an inspiration to my metaphysical graphics<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

>in the nineteen nineties i made a large effort to<
>create many collage graphics devoted to the<
+(METAPHYSICAL GRAPHICS+
+AS DEEP PSYCHIC VISION)+
>new orleans french creole jungle essence<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

>"eco mundo" tropic jungle resort on the bay<
>of cortez, mexico, is a rich tropical mixture<
+(ORGANIC ARCHITECTURE+
+CHILD OF THE JUNGLE)+
>of structures designed in native materials<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

>in the end i come back to pictor's restaurant<
>as a vital overview of the tropic syndrome<
+("PICTORS METAMORPHOSIS"+
+reflects TROPIC RADIANCE)+
<and a vital metamorphosis from nature<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+LIGHTS=COLOR=ENERGY+
>alchemy of the tropics<
>(MATRIX OF OUR MAGIC+

+NATURE OUR #1 GUIDE)+

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

eugene ray, mfa, architect

professor emeritus, sdsu