A’Court Bason’s After the Fall Exhibit
It wasn’t your typical interview. Nothing with A’Court ever is. It wasn’t really an interview at all, but I did sit down with him after the meet-the-artist traffic slowed down. I asked about the apostrophe in his first name and the thought behind wearing tiger ears to the opening.
He didn’t want to take himself too serious, was the answer he gave about the ears, while also admitting that he is actually serious, mostly about philosophy, Taoism and art.
The “After the Fall” Holiday Art exhibit and Sale was named for A’Court’s recent injurious fall from a horse at Travianna Farm (one of the early 70’s style Floyd commune/communities at one time ). There were paintings, prints, prayer flags, poems, cards, cd’s and poetic writings from his book Tiny Shrines.
I learned that A’Court is a family name, originally a surname, and that A’Court’s full name is actually Samuel A’Court Ashe Bason, named after Samuel A’Court Ashe, a celebrated American Civil War captain, editor, historian, and legislator. A’Court comes from a long line of North Carolina legislators, artists, lawyers, writers, and a wiki-pedia-worthy botanist. It’s no wonder that he is an artist, musician, instrument maker, poet and butterfly mystic.
A’Court lives a simple and mostly reclusive life, so it wasn’t surprising that people came out to see him. He rarely leaves the farm, but he’s not anti-social and is regularly sought out by visitors for discourse.
Discourse? His art speaks for itself. Check it out at Oddfella’s Cantina, the Black Water Loft in Floyd and at Ripples in Roanoke. See what it tells you. See more at A’Court’s webpage HERE. A blog review of A’Court’s book Tiny Shrines is HERE.
December 17th, 2012 12:32 pm
You attend to the most fascinating people, Colleen.
December 18th, 2012 1:06 am
I do believe art helps the world go round. Yay! Thanks for your contributions Colleen.
December 18th, 2012 5:28 am
Thanks for sharing an insightful peak in words and photos. Wish I could have been there.
May 31st, 2013 12:38 pm
[…] founder Kris Hodges spoke about how he and Semione were schooled in music and art together by A’Court Bason (who was in attendance) at Travianna Farm, where Semione lived for many years. He spoke of her […]
August 20th, 2013 9:51 am
[…] See more of A’Court’s art HERE. A post on his last exhibit HERE. […]
August 21st, 2013 10:45 pm
[…] 5. It wasn’t your typical interview. Nothing with A’Court ever is. It wasn’t really an interview at all, but I did sit down with him after the meet-the-artist traffic slowed down. I asked about the apostrophe in his first name and the thought behind wearing tiger ears to the opening. ~ Read more about A’Court’s last art exhibit opening HERE. […]
August 22nd, 2013 1:48 pm
butterfly mystic?
August 22nd, 2013 3:44 pm
I took the term butterfly mystic from his book Tiny Shrines. I think of it as a way to describe his unique simple and muse-filled artist’s lifestyle.
August 23rd, 2013 11:29 am
[…] went to his last art exhibit wanting to cover it for the paper in some way, but I found it impossible to wear my interviewer hat […]
October 26th, 2016 2:51 pm
[…] 9. When I wear my cat ears, I think of my late friend A’Court (Ruth’s son), who wore tiger ears to his last art opening. See why HERE. […]