METAPHYSICAL ART / "looking into the light" / "artist-architect-professor"

+"LOOKING INTO THE LIGHT"+

>is a title i suggested to prof. rene peralta for<

>his >proposed monograph on my work as it<

+(GOOGLE : EUGENE RAY+

+ /  GENETIC MEMORY)+

>leaves room for >examining the deep roots<

>and expanded nature of galvanizing factors<

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

+METAPHYSICAL ART+

>(we remember our pilgrimage to de chirico's<

>home-studio-museum in rome) has been the<

+(GOOGLE :>>> EUGENE RAY /+

+METAPHYSICAL GRAPHICS)+

>vital adjunct to my architecture & tonight i<

>take a >moment from architecture to reveal<

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

+LAJOLLA CALIFORNIA 1972+

>although deep into the architectural program<

>development at SDSU simultaneously i was<

+(GOOGLE : EUGENE RAY+

+>>> / TAXCO, MEXICO)+ 

>expanding my passion for "sense of place" w/<

>field trips into mexico that i discovered in 55<

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

+CORRESPONDENCE ART >WAS THE+

+MEDIUM I USED / >IT WAS STRONG+

>(expanding affordable technology<

>provided me a powerful medium)<

+COMPLEX >DIRECT< AFFORDABLE+

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

 +LAJOLLA  STUDIO 1972+
>it was in our >small garage apartment w/<
>its Radiant peach tree that i expanded my<
+(A LA MESA >FERRO CEM+
+HOUSE DESIGNED HERE)+
>correspondence art graphics, >concurrent<
>w/ vital architectural research and design<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+MY LECTURE @ CIDOC IN+
>(center for >intercultural<
>documenta / cuernavaca)<
+MEXICO DESIGNED HERE+
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 +LAJOLLA STUDIO, 1972+
>for professor peralta who lives in tijauna<
>perhaps this corner in my studio >strikes<
+(GOOGLE : EUGENE RAY+
+>> / ORGANIC DESIGN)+
>a warm note. >it reflects my love for the<
+organic world of mexico africa louisiana<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 +LAJOLLA STUDIO, 1992+
>twenty years later my work was known<
>in  many foreign countries and was at a<
>peak of production / the silver ship was<
+(COSMIC CONSCIOUS+
+and ORGANIC VISION)+
>a great joy for our entire family / >mail<
>art provided a metaphysical documenta<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 +CORRESPONDENCE ART 1997+
>you will find our >mail art effort< in the book<
>on the >history of correspondence art< and it<
>was my pleasure to host a mail art exhibition<
+(GOOGLE : EUGENE RAY+
+> / MAIL ART PACKET)+
>devoted to mailable architectural designs / it<
>was a joy to have work from other countries<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

+

 +COLLAGE #1 / PLANTATION+
>from the time i was a small boy, family<
>plantation essence was vital / poignant<
+(GOOGLE : EUGENE RAY+
+>> / PLANT KINGDOM)+
>because of loss but >radiant w/ family<
>memories of >plant & french insights<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 +COLLAGE #2 / CHATEAUX+
>the degruy-dagobert-bossancourt-saint<
>simon-villeneuve DNA alchemy meets<
+(GOOGLE : EUGENE RAY /+
+FRENCH DNA ALCHEMY)+
>cavaroc-lamothe-roy-staigg DNA mix<
>from a french chateaux family history<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 +COLLAGE #3 / RUINS+
>professo peralta may like my fascination<
>w/ ruins / his book on tijauna seems with<
+(GOOGLE : EUGENE RAY+
+ / PLANTATION RUINS)+
>interest of this milieu / my "ruins" vision<
>is filled w/ loss & passion to rebuild well<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 +COLLAGE #4 / RUINS+
>my wives and the electric wisdom machine<
>give >hope in the milieu of destruction loss<
+(GOOGLE : EUGENE RAY+
+ / CALIFORNIA LIGHT)+
>and human frailty / in california i found the<
>atmosphere to rebuild in the radiant essence<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 +COLLAGE #5 / APOCALYPSE+
>at tulane university in 1969 i synergised all<
>of my work into an architecture & graphics<
+(GOOGLE : EUGENE RAY /+
+ORIENT FOREST VISION)+
>exhibition w/ a orient forest perspective of<
>bernard de clairvaux / >shroud sion vision<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^                

 +TABASCO CREOLE ESSENCE+
>i took marianne after our marriage to the<
>jungles of avery island w/ its plug of rock<
+(GOOGLE : EUGENE RAY+
+>>> / TABASCO SAUCE)+
>salt making a very high, fertile zone / here<
>tabasco sauce is >made & stored in barrels<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 +MAGICIANS IN EGYPT+
>cinema of ingmar bergman was my great<
>interest w/ its metaphysical vision / here<
+(GOOGLE : EUGENE RAY+
+> / INGMAR BERGMAN)+
>we see his >"magician" based on mesmer<
>(egypt "magic" inspired clairvaux as well)<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 +"EYES WITHOUT A FACE"+
>another favorite film by georges franju<
>is the ultimate in french surreal drama<
+(GOOGLE : EUGENE RAY /+
+FRENCH SURREAL ART)+
>( super realism is >very french & strikes<
>deep in my metaphysical vision essence<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

"

 +RANNY / BROTHER-ARTIST-SEER+
>randolph j. ray jr my older brother by eight<
>years was a strong mentor / >he took me to<
+(GOOGLE :> EUGENE RAY+
+ / RANDOLPH J. RAY JR.)+
>see "the oxbow incident" film @ age  6 yrs<
>our house was filled w/ his many paintings<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+RANNY HAD GENIUS+
>he was a very talented artist / seer and<
>after his death  many letters flowed in<
+(I COMMISSIONED his ART+
+for my EARLY BUILDINGS)+
>from ardents seeking his vision  >joel<
>f. ray, his son is a >talented magician<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+SYNCHRONICITY+
>i felt ranny's "presence" in laguna beach<
>he lived there when i commissioned his<
+(MABELL WAS HIS WIFE+
+/ (DIED IN CHILD BIRTH)+
>art for my buildings / i remember his st.<
>was lombardy lane, high up on the hill<
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

+HE DIED OF A HEART ATTACK+

>(his son was w/ him / they<

>were enroute to dallas tx.<

>asleep on the back seat /<

>(carbon monoxide)  ???)< 

+AT NIGHT ON A "TRAILWAYS"+

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

>my uncle and i >went to retrieve<

>his body not far from rayville la< 

+A >VERY SAD DAY< of LIFE+

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

>(congratulations to friend tom hart<

>his vermont team beat notre dame)<

+but TOM WENT to OKLAHOMA+

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

eugene ray, mfa, architect

professor emeritus, sdsu