Page 45 - Winter 2021

Artist shares stories
of world travels
Local artist and world traveler Michael Pierce lives in a straw house in South Oconee. He prides himself in starting almost every story about his life with the phrase, “Now, this is all true.”
Before he trekked the Himalayas in 1982, Pierce was a graphic design student living in Atlanta.
Pierce met his friend Eddie Owens Martin, also known as St. Eom (pronounced Saint Ohm), in 1976.
One day, a Mercer University professor invited Pierce and his friend, Pat Powell, to Buena Vista, Georgia, to visit Martin’s Pasaquan compound.
Martin considered his remote abode “a place to have his own thoughts and
By Julia Fechter
beliefs” through his one-man religion of Pasaquoyanism.
Around Pasaquan, Martin had temples, pagodas, shrines and the like carved and painted with totem faces, mandalas, snakes, posed human figures and other occult-like symbols. Students helped with the restoration and beautification of these structures.
Pierce and his friends were creative spirits. Some of Martin’s creative tendencies are reflected in Pierce’s artworks, like vibrantly colored geometric patterns and the use of found materials on gourds and canvases.
Pierce said Martin influenced him to be more true to himself. Though Martin
died in 1986, Pierce keeps Martin’s spirit part of his art by wearing some of the items Martin made, like a Seminole necklace and a tan embroidered vest.
“He always had hats with shells and stuff, so I took this Stetson hat and made it to go along with my outfit,” Pierce added. “[As for] the hat’s horse tail, Eddie gave it to me. He had a friend out in Oregon who would send him fresh horse tails. He used them in his art pieces, clothes and earrings... When you’re gone, you’re still there with all those people and all those places,” Pierce said.
Martin’s advice to Pierce was to travel and meet new people. Two years later, Pierce would do just that.
Farmington artist Michael Pierce makes colorful geometric wall art and bespoke clothing.
sJulia Fechter is a news reporter for The Oconee Enterprise newspaper in Watkinsville, Ga. Enterprise Editor Michael Prochaska contributed to this story.
WINTER 2021 | OCONEE THE MAGAZINE | PAGE 43
Julia Fechter