Isaac
Jenkinson Frazee was a high-minded, slightly eccentric visionary whose art,
poetry, and personal philosophy helped to shape the cultural life of Southern
California during the late 19th and early 20th
centuries. He was one of Southern
California’s first local artists, whose unique impressionistic style gave his
California landscapes a dreamy, opalescent quality. His poems, published in periodicals and
newspapers throughout the Southland, reflected his witty, philosophical
personality, as well as his deep reverence for California’s natural beauty and
its rich Spanish-American and Indian heritage.
His Indian pageant, Kitshi-Manido,
was an inspiration to thousands of Southern Californians who responded to its
simple message of love and service. It
dignified the Indian, and paid tribute to their ancient culture. He eschewed the comforts and conveniences of
civilization, making his home in the rugged mountains of northern San Diego
County where he was surrounded by the wonders of nature. In spite of his isolation, he loved people
and had many friends and acquaintances throughout the world. In 1893 he built an authentic Scottish tower
on his ranch, which served as both a romantic family castle and a Hopi estufa—or council chamber. Whatever dream he followed––living in a
medieval castle among the wonders of nature, producing a pageant based on the
spiritual beliefs of the American Indian, or developing a personal lifestyle of
love, harmony with nature, and service to mankind––he always shared his dreams
freely with those around him. And, his
life ended just as he hoped it would; tired, content, and happy at the age of
84, he “climbed into Mother Nature’s arms, where she gently rocked him fast
asleep.”
The Real Isaac Frazee
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