+RADIANT CREOLE ART MIRACLE+ (transcendent manifestations) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ +FRENCH CREOLE PLANTATION+ >as an archtype can be a place where >creativity and scholarship thrive< ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ +PLANTATION MAGIC+ >as i was describing the marvelous sound, yesterday. of rain on +ELEPHANT EAR PLANTS+ >at melrose plantation a memory of my first visit w/ francois mignon +TRANSCENDENT+ >there in the mid nineteen sixties< ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >CAME TO MIND WHEN FRANCOIS WAS KIND ENOUGH TO SHOW ME HIS (transcendent manifestation) +PLANTATION "PIECE DE RESISTANCE"+ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >(the place was filled with much art many by the great clementine >hunter who was the cook<) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ +MELROSE MIRACLE+ >francoise unlocked the door to a chapel +SURROUNDED BY GIANT+ +TROPICAL PLANTS+ >he had built for the darkest african +DRYING GOURDS HANGING+ >people off his back brick veranda. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >(with its punkah fan and >clementine hunter quilt) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ +ST. MARTIN de PORRES AND HIS+ +DRYING BANANA'S CHAPEL+ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >elsa schiaperelli would, as i, that day have been transfixed w/ the scene. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ +CREOLE TROPIC SURREALISM+ >in the darkened white washed chapel was a large magnificent statue of st. martin +LIT BY STAINED GL WINDOW+ >de porres and above his head from the rafters hung several bunches +OF RIPENING BANANAS+ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ +UNFORGETABLE TABLEAU+ (tropique/magique/metaphysique) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >i have seen many art installations in my time and constructed quite a few but +THIS MISE-EN-SCENE WAS THE+ +ALL TIME CHAMPION+ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ +CREOLE SYNERGY AT ITS BEST+ >(cammie garret henry and lyle saxon should be thanked for bringing +FRENCH VISION+ >francois to sleepy melrose) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ +FRANCOIS MIGNON DESIGN+ >this miraculous scene was heightened by the remote setting of melrose >with its magnificent garden< ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ +SEARCH FOR SACRED SEEDS+ >marianne and i go to los angeles< this a.m. for a couple days for +BEVERLY HILLS SAFARI+ >our wedding anniversary< ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ +POETRY ALWAYS A PRIORITY+ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ gene ray, san diego, california