SUPER-REAL VISION / new orleans & la jolla documenta

+REYNER BANHAM+

>who wrote the great book "theory and design<

>in the first machine age" would be amazed to<

+(FIND THE FUTURE IN+

+THE ANCIENT PAST)+

>discover that there was actually machine ages<

+(READ CHRISTOPHER DUNN+

+"THE GIZA POWER PLANT")+

>deep into the darkness of pre-recorded history<

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

+SURREAL VISION+

>is how some people would describe that<

>view of master machinist dunn and my<

>1947 sighting of a ufo "mother ship"<

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

+NEW ORLEANS+

>w/ its mardi gras history has a strong<

>history of super-reality & my friend<

+(VOUDOU OFFERS MUCH+

+SURREAL FOLK LORE)+

>eric bookhardt has written about it<

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

>"hidden new orleans" published in the "times<
>picayune" sunday dixie roto is eric's excellent<
>article about surrealism in new orleans & it<
+(ERIC WAS MY SIGMA CHI+
+"BROTHER" @ TULANE U)+
>is synchronistic that eric lived naxt door to<
>marian near tulane where i met eric (1952)<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 >the back streets of new orleans are the setting<
>for some very surrealistic places & this strange<
+(ST. PAUL'S AFRICAN METHO+
+DIST, EPISCOPAL CHURCH)+
>building is typical of that special archetype<
>that eric has discovered & written about<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 >the sacristy of st roch church is filled w/
>artificial limbs symbolizing the curing<
+(CHURCH SURREALITY+
+IS POPULAR IN NOLA)+
>of cancer in many parishioners limbs<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 >it is interesting that the same people who<
>accept church super-reality would not be<
+(EVEN THE VATICAN+
+HAS UFO INTEREST)+
>willing to read about UFO super-reality<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

>affordable housing is needed desperately<
>by 99% of our people but lack of vision<
+(TESLA INSIGHT IS+
+/ VERY HELPFUL)+
>into advanced concepts is a blockage<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 >transcendental manifestations in my architecture,<
>no matter how practical, would make the average<
+"NOT FOR THE TIMID"+
+/ RADIANT VISION)+
>citizen afraid of charting new & different vision<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 >it was here in the sansouci forest jungle studio<
>that i drew up the plans for the first decade of<
+(MARIAN IN OUR JUNGLE+
+"MOTHERSHIP" SETTING)+
>transcendental manifestations for our people<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 >it was in this peaceful & serene jungle environ<
>that our young family thrived and inspiration<
+(GOOGLE : "THE SECRET+
+LIFE OF PLANTS" /(1973))+
>from the plant kingdom fueled the drawings<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 >one arriving to the front door at night was<
>not far removed from a mothership vision<
+(GOOGLE :>>  EUGENE RAY+
+COSMIC LIFE EXPERIENCE)+
>that i had as a boy in 1947 baton rouge<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 >several readers of this nightly blog effort were<
>guests of marian and i in our super-real house<
+(A GLASS MANIFESTATION+
+IN THE RADIANT JUNGLE}+
>in the jungle forest 35 miles n. of new orleans<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
                                      
 >in california i found an enlightened friend and<
>later student, larry uruttia, who commissioned<
+("YOGURT ENCOUNTERS"+
+A SPECIAL "UFO" PLACE)+
>my design of a transcendental manifestation<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
                                      
 >the art and architecture building for s.w. la<
>university w/ its exhibition space under a<
+(EARLY CALIFORNIA+
+DOMED DESIGN, '72)+
>geodesic dome was my early ca. design<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

>the african jungle compound prototype for<
>university of california berkeley anthro<
+(ALUMN COMPOUND /+
+TANZANIA JUNGLE)+
>pology research was my favorite vision<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+THIS VISION SO FAR IN THE+
>(for marian, nikola<
>reyner, eric..and
>timothy good)<
+PAST IT IS IN THE FUTURE+
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
eugene ray, mfa, architect
professor emeritus, sdsu