Loose Leaf Notes

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 and Taoism.

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.