Tuesday, January 3, 2017

The Real Isaac Frazee - 2


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.”

Read the full essay:
The Real Isaac Frazee

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