LETTER TO KIKUMA WATANABE / memories of a life with nature

DEAR PROFESSOR WATANABE+

>(architect / kyoto univ. grad)<

+NATURE IS OUR BEST GUIDE+

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

>thank you kikuma watanabe / your "back<

>to nature" camping structure w/ students<

>on Facebook >reminded me of my effort<

+(GOOGLE : EUGENE RAY+

+>> / "ARCOSANTI" / >also+

+> /YUCATAN FIELD TRIP+

>at SDSU of a similar type >(we built an air<

>structure for a arcosanti camping field trip<

>(& i took camping students to the yucatan)<

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

+YOUR ROUND STRUCTURE+

+PREVIOUSLY ALSO WAS A+

>(google : eugene ray+

> / round structures)<

+REMINDER >OF MY OWN<+

+>ROUND STRUCTURES< !!+

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

>your devotion to >nature & environ<

>in design is >excellent & rare in the<

>world of >architecture< >education<

>i send my very best congratulations<

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

+BELOW ARE >SOME IMAGES+

>(between 1969 & 1996)<

+OF OUR CALIFORNIA EFFORT+

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

 +ENVIRON DESIGN / SDSU+
>in our >environ design classes< at SDSU<
>economy, ecology, health & social issues<
+(GOOGLE :>> EUGENE RAY /+
+ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN)+
>joined aesthetics as vital issues / we won<
>several awards in >all calif. competitions<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 +SILVER SHIP STUDIO+
>my home in lajolla was the only residence<
>selected by the french and japanese in 1985<
+(GOOGLE : EUGENE RAY+
+ / SILVER SHIP STUDIO)+
>for simultaneous international honors /i am<
>very happy about that >(the economy vital)<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

+BIOMORPHIC DESIGN+
>it has been my pleasure to see >organic<
>orientation in the work of prof. kikuma<
+(GOOGLE :> EUGENE RAY+
+ / BIOMORPHIC DESIGN)+
>watanabe >w/ his students on Facebook<
>indeed "nature is our best guide" is vital<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

+BRAZILIA EXHIBITION 1995+
>tropical architecture is important to me<
>and i was honored to exhibit & lecture<
+(GOOGLE :> EUGENE RAY /+
+ / BRAZILIA EXHIBITION)+
>in the exciting capitol of brazil / such a<
>joy to see the >work of oscar niemeyer<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

+ASPEN EXHIBITION 1975+
>international exhibitions are >vital in my<
>life / 10 countries, >including japan have<
+(GOOGLE :>> EUGENE RAY /+
+LECTURES / EXHIBITIONS)+
>been kind to me / >japanese architecture<
>was >important to my teaching at SDSU<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

+BIOTRONIC ENERGY+
>has been my >primary exploration in<
>cosmic conscious radiant architecture<
+(GOOGLE : EUGENE RAY+
+ / BIOTRONIC ENERGY)+
>& >"ancient aliens" tv just presented a<
>thesis suggesting >extraterrestrial link<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 +COSMIC VISION+
>biotronic (electromagnetic) energy in<
>design has been a favorite topic of my<
>research / i recommend the book "the<
+(GOOGLE : EUGENE RAY /+
+THE GODS MACHINES)+
>gods machines" by wun chok bong of<
>hong kong for an excellent over view<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

+RADIANT ARCHITECTURE+
>has been the title that is most descriptive<
>of my architectural oeuvre / i started this<
+(GOOGLE :>> EUGENE RAY /+
+RADIANT ARCHITECTURE)+
>work in louisiana w/ color & light adding<
>biotronic energy< in the years 1965-1969<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 +RETROSPECTIVE 1980+
>underlying all of my >advanced tensile< work<
>is a love for >organic architecture< and i enjoy<
+(GOOGLE : EUGENE RAY /+
+SDSU RETROSPECTIVE)+
>your obvious link / i have posted on Facebook<
>many of my earlier blogs< >featuring organics<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

+"AERODYNE" PROTOTYPE 1995+
>environmental (architectural) >prototypes<
>was an >approach to design that proved to<
+(GOOGLE : EUGENE RAY+
+ / PROTOTYPE DESIGN)+
>be successful in my teaching / >one of my<
>students won a 1965 scholarship to france<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

+INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITIONS+
>it has been my joy to >lecture & exhibit in<
>many countries / ?the publication in japan<
>was very special in >a+u in 1985 / >photo<
+(GOOGLE : EUGENE RAY+
+/ DESIGN EXHIBITIONS)+
>above is an >exhibition i built w/ >several<
>international architects<  >including three<
>great japanese / isosaki, noguchi, takeyama<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 +PICTORS METAMORPHISIS 1975+
>the poetry references here plus the color &<
>cut-out signage plus >use of philodendron<
+(GOOGLE : EUGENE RAY /+
+PICTORS RESTAURANT)+
>selloum plants in large planter (in shadow)<
>expressed much of my >inner psyche here<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

+"ECO MUNDO" RESORT 1995+

>seeing the >designs of professor watanabe<

>w/ >organic architecture touched my heart<

+(GOOGLE : EUGENE RAY+

+ / ECO MUNDO RESORT)+

>and i send him this "eco mundo" design w/<

>its focus on >building w/ indigenous< fiber<

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

+DEAR PROF. KIKUMA WATANABE :+

>(i hope this letter confirms<

>our planet earth friendship)<

+PLEASE GIVE MY BEST REGARDS+

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

>to my old >japanese friends<

>featured< in our >exhibition<

>of 1987 >"eccentric places"<

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

+ARATA ISOZAKI,  ARCHITECT+

>(much honored & published)

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

+ISAMU NOGUCHI,  ARCHITECT+

>(much honored & published)<

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 

+MINORU YAKEYAMA,  ARCHITECT+

>(much honored & published) thanks<

>to chikako terada hart,  minoru also<

>visited us in our silver ship studios)<

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

+BEST WISHES >TO ALL+

+IN >YOUR< PROFOUND+

+>>WORK ON EARTH<<+ 

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

ps / congratulations and thanks to<

antoine predock / >he is honored<

+(ANTOINE  PRECOOK is a +

+>PREMIER ARCHITECT)+ 

>by the albuquerque museum of<

+(SEE MY FACEBOOK+

+PAGE for REF. DATA)+

>art >at noon on this very day &<

>has >invited our FB friendship<

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

eugene ray, mfa, architect

professor emeritus, sdsu