The Times, Places & Faces of Eugene “Jeep” Phillips
On many long drives and other occasions, Jeep and Hank discussed the mundane and the esoteric, exploring the existential questions of life. It was from those conversations, and a template left by another old friend, they cobbled together this, his farewell letter.
Jeeps Goodbye Letter
Deborah & Montserrat say goodbye to Jeep with a shot of Jack (purely for medicinal purposes) and spreading flowers and pedals during the internment ceremony in Atascadero.
Siblings Aaron, Janet, Darryl and Brent Phillips hold portraits at Jeep’s internment.
Old friends, Arlene with Mary & Massimo, reunite to honor Jeep at the Miyazaki Bathhouse.
A packed and attentive crowd in the Miyazaki Bathhouse Gallery share their love of Jeep.
Jeep’s brothers, Darryl & Aaron, told loving stories and shared heartfelt remembrances.
Stuart Rabinovitsh performs an original composition called Autumn Blues (This Place Where We Want To Be).
Diana Marto delivers an emotionally-charged chant entitled “Pure Bathhouse Resonance.”
In the winter of 1982, Jeep photographed Diana Marto working in her rural Hong Kong studio and performing on a ledge 20 feet about the ground, for the Hong Kong Art Festival. The experiences he captured would become his beautiful hand bound xerographic book, “Be The Bird That Soars In Your Dreams,” the genesis of her canto series. Jeep’s presence continues to inspire her work.
2 photos from Diana’s studio, and one performing in the Hong Kong Art Festival.
Diana Marto relays the following story:
Jeep was THERE! Right after the Art Festival, early Monday morning, 100 guys with sledge hammers and crow bars poured into my courtyard. Apparently, my studio was built illegally. They had come to bash it all in. Jeep strolled down the cement staircase, handed me his tape recorder, and began to photograph the snarling men. They backed away, as I had demanded of the leader who they represented. He affixed a Hong Kong Housing Authority decree to my wall which said I had 24 hours to get out. Had I been Chinese, I would have had three minutes! A day later, I negotiated a 3 month stay.
Jeep’s brother Darryl was kind enough to forward these classic images of Jeep. Unfortunately they weren’t uncovered until well after the slide show was completed, but at least we can share them now.
