TWELVE METAPHYSICAL GRAPHICS / for michael's cosmic journey

+MICHAEL LAWRENCE RAY+

>shall be interred today in a small cemetery<

>behind a country church on the river road<

+(LIFE CELEBRATION+

+FOLLOWS >BURIAL)+

>in the >small village of st. amant louisiana<

>w/>"french market bistro" life celebration< 

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

+METAPHYSICAL GRAPHICS+

>fascinated michael who collected the work<

>of my brother ranny & myself, is the focus<

+(MICHAEL >LOVED ART+

+w/ SERIOUS DEVOTION)+

>of tonights blog on this sad day for our ray<

>family who loved & respected our michael<

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

+CRUX INSTALLATION+

>the first image was an installation that i<

>assembled & photographed at tulane in<

+THIS SAD DAY IS THE+

+PERFECT OCCASSION+

>the spring of 1969 as part of my thesis<

>synthesizing radiant color light energy<

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

>(my friend & former student john<

+(INFRARED PHOTOS)+

>messina >"photograph synergy")<

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

+RADIANT PASSAGE+
>somehow as i designed my tulane 69 thesis<
>exhibition w/ color slides of my architecture<
+(COSMOS< & >CRUX+
+SYNERGY is  VITAL)+
>the cosmic consciousness factor galvanized<
>a vision of several installations w/ this crux<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 +REBIRTH AMID RUINS+
>a constant vision of creativity during ten<
>years of louisiana design & construction<
+(FRESH GROWTH+
+FROM the DECAY)+
>was the force i felt to construct the fresh<
>mode of living out of our people's ruins<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 +THE LOST GARDEN+
>the tropical jungle of our creole people<
>hid the lost gardens of valcour aime an<
+(VALCOUR AIME'S+
+>JUNGLE WORLD)+
>imptessive french planter who created<
>a magical playground for his children<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 +ST. LOUIS #1 VISION+
>early one >nola summer morning, before the<
>yucatan heat took over >i saw a voudou doll<
+(OLD VOUDOU DOLL+
+WAITING / >(STICKY)+
>waiting for me in st. louis cemetery #1 on an<
>ancient creole tomb /  >(sticky black rubber)<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 +CAVAROC PLANTATION+
>heloise la mothe cavaroc< our great grand<
>mother awaits before the family plantation<
+(SEE  >HELOISE LA MOTHE+
+TOMB / MY FACEBOOK PG)+
>as cosmic orbs float around the tropic relm<
>like the ufo seen at baton rouge 1800-1947<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

+BARATARIA RUIN+
>not far from where i >constructed a new<
>vision fot new orleans living room patio<
+(VERLOIN de GRUY+
+DOME WAS NEAR)+
>garden residence design i photographed<
>this ancient rotting creole plantation ruin<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^                        

 +ABORIGINAL MAGIC+
>the >secret world< of french african magic<
>potions and amulets (read "voodoo in new<
+(N.O. SECRET POTIONS+
+AMULETS, & RITUALS)+
>orleans" by robert tallant) was shared with<
>michael and our other younger generation<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 +FLOCKS OF ANGELS+
>john ray our >patriarch great grandfather<
>who >married catherine de bresse in the<
+(MICHAEL INHERITED+
+JOHN RAY KINDNESS)+
>north of louisiana >passed his kind< and<
>generous spirit to walker & son michael<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 +FRENCH MARKET+
>i >inherited the >architectural passion< of<
>jean baptiste< & francois verloin de gruy<
+(FRENCH MARKET+
+STRUCTURE>1948)+
>at age 16 i took this baton rouge photo of<
>the old >french market built in the 18th C<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

+CREOLE AMBIENCE+
>this blog is evidence of the passion that<
>all members of our our family inherited<
+(FRENCH CULTURE /+
+MICHAEL'S TALENT)+
>for french creole tropical ambience and<
>michael's talents seen as restaurant host<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 +MISSISSIPPI RIVER+
>rich agricultural land< along the rivers<
>in louisiana >fueled our spiritual life &<
+(PLANT KINGDOM >+
+ALONG THE RIVER)+
>michael's >restaurant, home and burial<
>plus >all of our history reflect the river<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 +"VOUDOU MAGIC"
>powerful >french african spiritual life<
>as in >voudou & jazz music fueled an<
+(FRENCH CREOLE ARTS+
+RADIANT W/ MAGIQUE)+
>atmosphere of creativity< in our roots<
>that >galvanized our aesthetic< vision<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

>FOREST STUDIO+
>our sansouci forest studio provided the<
>radiant creative atmosphere that fueled<
+(SANSOUCI FOREST+
+FUELED our VISION)+
>the imagination of >michael, joel, holly<
>derek, bronwen & lesley >in their lives<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+CREOLE CHILDREN  >REFLECT+
+AN AESTHETIC< ATMOSPHERE+
>(our >younger generation<
>love art, history & travel)<
+ENRICHD BY FRENCH HISTORY+
+MICHAEL, SIBLINGS, EXAMPLE+
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

>the >sorrow generated by michael's<
>passing  >seen on Facebook in the<
+(MICHAEL'S>KINDNESS+
+VERY DEEPLY MISSED)+
>eyes of my brother & many photos<
>from >devoted friends everywhere<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+(LIFE IS TENUOUS  >EACH+
+DAY A >PRECIOUS< GIFT)+
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
eugene ray, mfa, architect
professor emeritus, sdsu