+EDGAR DEGAS & TOULOUSE LAUTREC+
>(these two drew my interest<
>via deep genetic memory &<
>research revealed much dna<
>link to >bordeaux cavarocs)<
+FRENCH ARTISTS OF THE >FIRST RANK+
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>both< figure in our >de gruy family history< and it was my<
>pleasure to visit >lautrec's grandmother's chateau< north of<
+(LAUTREC'S >ANCESTOR WAS W/+
+GRUY COUNT AT 1ST CRUSADE)+
>albi in the >languedoc region< not far from cabrieres castle<
>/one of my favorite books reveals toulouse family daily life<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+"THE DEGAS HOUSE"
>on esplanade ave in new orleans was >dega's musson's<
>mothers family townhouse where marianne and i spent<
+DEGAS PAINTED ESTELLE+
>(the blind sister-in-law)<
+HIS BROTHER DESERTED+
>a ghostly creaky wood floor night / is now a b&b hotel<
> / >my favorite degas painting is his blind sister-in-law<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^>marianne and i were the only occupants of the<
>degas house the night we were there. sleeping<
+(READ THE EXELLENT BOOK+
+>"DEGAS IN NEW ORLEANS")+
>in the musson's suite / degas slept in the small<
>storeroom (we didn't stir up his ghostly shade)<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>several years back >mary lynn hyde< joined<
>marianne & i to find this old >de lery 18th C<
+(AUTHENTIC FRENCH 18TH+
+CENTURY PLANTATION A+
+DEGRUY >HISTORY STAR)+
+mary plantation near the early degruy indian<
>mound,>barataria jungle historical plantation<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>on esplanade ave< at the edge of the vieux<
>carre is the >19th C townhouse of john ray<
+(JOHN RAY >>MARRIED+
+CATHERINE de BRESSE+
+(tie SHROUD OF TURIN)+
>our great grandfather / friend of abe lincoln<
>he voted emancipation & revised la statutes<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>within a few blocks of john ray's townhouse<
>in thé vieux carre i was able to construct the<
+(VIEUX CARRE RADIANT+
+PROJECTS / 1966 TO 1969)+
>jazz workshop, the explorers gift shop & the<
>trailor apartment< in a >burst of radiant light<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>in the silver ship,< lajolla california & at sdsu<
>i was able to construct a >design oeuvre and<
+(RADIANT VISION GREW+
+IN >CALIFORNIA LIGHT)+
>educational curriculum that expanded on the<
>effort made in the >vieux carre and at tulane<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>in thé vieux carre >napoléon house between<
>1959 & 1969 >w/ marian or my nola friend's<
>jogn and tania the ancient milieu of ancestors<
+(ANCIENT NOLA MILIEU+
+INSPIRED THE >VISION)+
>ray, degruy, cavaroc, lamothe, bresse, saulet<
>foucher etc. inspired >cosmic consciousness<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>this print of >tahitian warrior rower's depicting<
>their >spherical fiber head protecting helmets is<
+(SPHERICAL FIBER HELMETS /+
+ORGANIC TAHITIAN DESIGN(+
>a favorite of mine (enlarge & look closely) /the<
>organic spherical helmets are especially radiant<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>the island of moorea provided an excellent base<
>and marian & i had a >wonderful lunch w/ bengt<
+(LUNCH W/ BENGT DANIELSON+
+& HIS WIFE ON TAHITI ISLAND)+
>danielson the>kon tiki anthropologist at his three<
>bungalow compound / (bengt died in later years)<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>in the >tropical french colony of tahiti, marian &<
>i found the rich >organic roots that paralleled the<
+(FRENCH >TROPICAL COLONY+
+TAHITI INSPIRED OUR VISION)+
>louisiana french tropical roots fueling our psyche<
>that had erupted new orleans vieux carre / tulane<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>professor francine stock at tulane university<
>found this photo of my spring 1969 radiant<
+(TULANE EXHIBITION 69+
+RADIANT APOCALYPSE)+
>"cosmos conscious" exhibition / her letter to<
>me suggested some >events for this october<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>at tulane the tropical cyclone winds born off<
>the african coast sweep across the yucatan w/<
+(TULANE EXPLORER >FRANZ+
+BLUM IN THE 19C YUCATAN)+
>huge centrifugal force galvanizing the mayan<
>explorers augustus le plongeon & franz blum<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>the devastation of katrina was incredible >i shall<
>never forget the >hurricane that destroyed< many<
+(TROPICAL CYCLONES ARE+
+INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCES)+
>trees in the >sansouci forest (i was away working<
>on a>town design for rocket scientists in alabama)<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>many >tropical cyclones have devastated< the<
>louisiana gulf coast and vieux carre / >in 1952<
+(RANDOLPH J. RAY JR+
+VIEUX CARRE >1952)+
>as i was starting tulane, our >artist-tarot talent<
>brother ranny, posed for a very special photo<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+KATRINA WAS A >HORRIBLE+
+EXPERIENCE FOR MY >DEAR+
+BROTHER WALKER'S FAMILY+
>(houses, cars, books, photos<
>were destroyed-lost forever<
>but they have all come back)<
+THEY LOST MANY >OF THEIR+
+PRECIOUS >FAMILY GOODS<+
+COURAGE WAS A STRENGTH+
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
eugene ray, mfa, architect
professor emeritus, sdsu
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