ARCHIGRAM / LONDON / six talented, young professors, were correct

+"ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN"+

+THANKS TO SDSU LIBRARY+

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

>was the >professional magazine, out of london<

>that brought archigram to my attention, sept 69<

+(GOOGLE : EUGENE RAY+

+>>>>> / ARCHIGRAM)+

>when i started teaching at >san diego state univ<

>i immediately invited them to lecture, they came<

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

+ARCHIGRAM WERE CITY PEOPLE+

>(many came from the boonies<

>but were >educated in london<

>a center for >urban problems)<

+THEY WANTED TO CURE A MESS+

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

>peter cook was the lead designer but<

>dennis crompton was the tech guy &<

>made things work / >dennis lectured<

+(PETER COOK, DENNIS+

+CROMPTON, AND RON+

+HERRON / ORIGINAL 3)+

>for me and >became my friend aided<

>by ron herron /  >peter lectured later<

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

                                     

 >archigram at the >beginning were student<
>leaders wanting to correct old boy ills and<
+(ARCHIGRAM WERE+
+ARTISTIC HIPSTERS)+
>were >inspired by rock bands & american<
>magazine & art graphics w/ pop aesthetics<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 >three wild eyed students became three very<
>talented academics that as they put it >"put<
+(ARCHIGRAM >BECAME+
+LEADING PROFESSORS)+
>noise in the machinery" / >that is they saw<
>many urban problems< as >grist for design<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 >in many ways i felt a kinship, especially<
>in the use of domes and kits of part type<
+(BUCKMINSTER FULLER+
+WAS A LEADER FOR US)+
>projects i had taught long before we met<
>a mechanical dome was excellent vision<

>archigram >published vivid graphic catalogs<
>(architectural telegrams) that were mailed to<
+(MY >VISION AT TULANE+
+EMBRACED BIOTRONICS)+
>enthusiasts / my own thinking shared many<
+(1985 WAS THE >YEAR I+
+WAS PARIS EXHIBITED)+
>social ideas like their >chart showing interior<
>home furnishings evolving to pure symplicity<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 >in about 1970 >archigram won an inter<
>national competition< for an auditorium<
+(ARCHIGRAM >WON THE+
+MONACO COMPETITION)+
>for >entertainment in monaco / their very<
>good solution was to put it underground<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

>reyner banham had been a  >leader in<
>archigram  >admiration of los angeles<
+(REYNER BANHAM+
+A VISION LEADER)+
>w/ the motion picture ambience of the<
>modern architectural milieu important<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 >collage graphics< of archigram perspectives<
>were very >pop oriented & they selected the<
+(ARCHIGRAM WAS>VERY+
+TAKEN W/ LOS ANGELES)+
>figures from american magazines which they<
>collected in quantity< when they visited here<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^      

 >archigram and i< >shared an interest< in<
>light weight tensile and pneumatic design<
+(BUCKY FULLER  SPOKE+
+ECONOMY BY>WEIGHT)+
>at sdsu i >had my students building many<
>air structures which we exhibited annually<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

>in 1998 >dennis crompton published this<

>excellent history of  >archigram concepts<

+(DENNIS CROMPTON+

+as CHIEF ARCHIVIST)+

>for their exhibitions / dennis became their<

>archivist (he has acquired a large storage)<

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

 >it was a >great pleasure for marianne & i<
>to meet w/ old >friend dennis crompton in<
+(DENNIS  CROMPTON+
+HOSTED IN LONDON)+
>london /  peter cook who was knighted by<
>queen elizabeth was visiting in hong kong<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 >during our tea w/ dennis crompton in<
>london, >dennis kindly gave me a gift<
+(DENNIS CROMPTON  gift+
+ARCHIGRAM CATALOG)+
>of archigrams latest exhibition catalog<
>which has a sound link to cell phones<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

>i apologised to dennis that i didn't have<

>a gift for him / >BUT as i look back at<

+(REYNER BANHAM WAS+

+FAN OF MY>RESEARCH)+

>our meeting i realize now i >did have a<

>gift for dennis />it is this series of blogs<

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

+MY>UFO SIGHTING+

+WAS A>REAL PLUS+

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

>was a >factor that gave my work<

>the cosmic consciousness vision<

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

+BIOTRONIC ENERGY INFO WAS+

+MY >GIFT TO OUR ARCHIGRAM+

>(i shall send dennis a copy of<

>tonight's blog >w/ emphasis<

>"the gods machines"< book)< 

+FRIENDS /  SHOULD HAVE TOLD+

+DENNIS >REF WUN CHOK BONG+

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 

eugene ray, mfa, architect

professor emeritus, sdsu