+RUINS AND BEAUTY+ >(beauty of ruins)< >as i went to sleep last night a thought came to me of the good fortune of +HAVING ROOTS IN NEW ORLEANS+ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >where history. ambience, scholarship, +THE SEVEN ARTS+ >poetry, and european cultural ties +CARRY SOME SPIRITUAL WEIGHT+ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >art was important in my parents< +CREOLE HOUSEHOLD+ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >our house was a veritable living museum +OF EVERY FORM OF KNOWN ART+ >and some not yet recognised (latin communication) +VIVID-EXPRESSIVE-SECRET+ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ +CORRESONDENCE ART+ >documenta art using xerography collage in multiples and the +U.S. POSTAL SERVICE+ >which became my favored medium in >california second only to design<. +ESPECIALLY ARCHITECTURE+ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ +BATON ROUGE , 1955+ >(furniture wasn't overlookd, as early as baton rouge, 1955 when i designed +WHITE CABINETS-BED ROOM+ >sliding pegboard panels< >in radiant colours< +BLACK CABINETS-LIVING+ >and built our marriage furniture<) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ +CLEAN MODERN SPIRITED LINES+ >spring of life aesthetics< +REFLECTED NEW SPIRITED LIFE+ (radiant wife=blonde beauty +MARIAN OLSEN RAY+ +1936-2003+ >later a phi beta kappa<) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ +POETIC-POIGNANT-ROOTS+ >synchronistically we went looking for >creole plantation ruins on the< +LOST FRENCH HERITAGE+ >weeknds in my bulbous french blue +1949 PLYMOUTH W/ ITS+ >huge scrubbed whitewall tires >to match white-buck shoes< ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ +FRENCH CREOLE RUINS+ >just found in my library storage< +"IN RUINS : A JOURNEY THROUGH+ +HISTORY, ART & LITERATURE"+ by christopher woodward ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >reminds me of the opening page of< +DAPHNE DUMAURIER'S "REBECCA"+ (woodward missed that classic) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ +WITH ITS FABULOUS DESCRIPTION+ (the family garden in ruins) +OF THE LOST COUNTRY HOUSE+ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >surrealistic dream invoked< +CREOLE PLANTATION+ >of verloin degruy chateaux< ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ +HUGO-FOUCHER RUINS+ >victor hugo's taste for ruins is traced by christopher woodward to +COMTE de VOLNEY+ >his mother's cousin who wrote< +"LES RUINES"+ >which had much influence on >the 18 year old victor< ^^^^^^^^^^^^ +JOHN PIPER ILLUSTRATIONS+ >of english counry house ruins are the very best i know of outside of his >very talented countryman< +FREDERICK CATHERWOOD+ >llustrations of maya yucatan ruins< ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ +GOTHIC SURREALISM+ >see osbert sitwells autobiographical series to find piper's illustrations >("LAUGHTER IN THE NEXT ROOM" IS ONE VOL.) >of renishaw, the sitwell home +in the north of england+ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ +SO COLD IN WINTER ONE WORE+ +AN OVERCOAT TO GO TO THE+ >bathroom down the hall w/ the draft blowing ones hat +RIGHT OFF THE HEAD+ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ +NEW ORLEANS MISE-EN-SCENE+ (eccentric creole ruins) >e. j. belloch the surrealistic new orleans photographer which french director +LOUIS MALLE+ ("the lovers" film fame) >based his famous new orleans film "PRETTY BABY" >as he documented the ladies of +S T O R Y V I L L E+ >new orleans redlight district< ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ +BELLOCH THE ECCENTRIC RESULT+ +OF CREOLE NOLA INBREEDING+ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >was a persona inspirational to >john kennedy toole for< >his award winning< ^^^^^^^^^^^ +"CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES"+ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >bellocq's life began in creole elegence on esplanade avenue in 1873 and paralleled that of atget in paris +TOULOUSE LAUTREC+ >is particularly brought to mind with >his aristocrat in brothel history<. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ +BOTH DEFORMED FRENCH ARTSTS+ >bellocq was short fat, bald< >w/ a large pot belly< +BEFRIENDING & DOCUMENTING+ >lautrec was dwarfed< +LADIES OF THE EVENING+ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ +BOTH POSSESSED GENIUS+ >french and sensual< +MINDFUL OF PIERRE LOUYS+ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ gene ray, san diego, california