To the Tune of Fred Astaire ’They Can’t Take that Away from Me' after hearing of my brother’s passing this week.

Image pulled from The Atlanta Bucks Facebook Page

I first met Phredd when I joined the Atlanta Bucks back in 2008. The Rugby team is all inclusive of all sexualities to unite on the spirit of Rugby, sportsmanlike conduct and brotherhood of waring teams coming together at the end in 3rd half. The team is a brotherhood where we pick each other up and we continually go into the wellness of the community in a series of personal interests to bring the spirit of Rugby into the world.

As I couldn’t even afford cleats, they were provided to me by my brothers and I was given a group to be a part of. Although I never could had gone to the traveling Rugby matches, overseas my heart was always with them when they did. I was a flanker in the game of combat soccer where you run the field and don’t stop for just about anything.

Phredd, an Old Boy at the time of his passing, was instrumental to the heart of the team. In his day job(night job) he worked security watching out for people and I fondly remember him going down memory lane in the end of this phase of his life giving the world a piece of his history and connections to bring people together.

The Atlanta Bucks major annual fundraiser is, “The Purple Dress Run’. A Charity event so that the Bucks can survive another season and be able to attend the World connection of Teams in Worldly brotherhood and battle. The fun-free spirit of even that event ends with drinks and community building. Beware the lemons that drop in your cup in 3rd half. If they get you, you have to drink your drink. I suppose we all have a first try Zulu story. I don’t know Phredd’s but I know mine and it is what is. This is about the comfortability of your surroundings and those that lift you up when others try to take control of the ball.

The Black Swan II. Philip A. Bonneau June 10, 2011 From Beautiful Layered Lies (Artwork Held in Private Collection) Reworked for my Master’s Submission to the Photography Program at SCAD

Phredd Took a chance on me when I was first starting photography and trying to branch into the gallery fine art setting with my works. In the beginning he was one of the first to contribute to a photo session to support me in raising money in the exploration prior to my first gallery showing. The shoot involved going around my neighborhood of Adair Park and photographing based on early concepts and the discovery of abandoned building and what they represent in made-up history and in real history. The image above from an old abandoned recycling center that I playfully dubbed then as ‘Pippy’s Playhouse’. Since then it has been torn down, but the land remains in mystery and surprises of what was found there and what was picked up and transformed.

For Phredd as the Black Swan, it was incorporated from Swan Lake where natural lighting of the situation took over. I had to climb up broken stairs to get to the location to photograph him, but the spotlight was present from the ceiling glass of broken ceilings. Phredd taught myself comfort in individuality and how to be myself. An ‘I Give a Buck’ mentality of being able to be who you want to be. To watch an adult man play the character while actually dancing and enjoying his environment was one of the most amazing things to see from that photo shoot. It is the same location that was used multiple times for multiple photoshoots before events darkened the space and it was never to be returned to until yers later after it was torn down to where things still occur from memory and found objects. What is the difference between a kilt and a skirt?

Phredd in his computer building was also An Armorette. The Armorettes also are community builders and fundraisers. Ask them about their Easter Bonnets and bringing together the community in the spirit of Camp and the tradition of Theatre of men in drag. As Phreddtasia, it was always important that the low-brow look was important to him and where the discount is in the disguise of what is in your heart.

When duty called and time for an upgrade in my works and asking a community for help back in 2013, Phredd rose to the challenge in support and was right there with me and so many others, holding up a sign nakedly for support. The kindness of friends and strangers on hopes and dreams and where things could go was always classic Phredd as well as those who played with me in my work.

From my successfully funded commit building of 2012. Kickstarter

The humor is always important to mask the seriousness of things and it is an amazing aspect that Phredd was completely supportive of my work and often later in life still played tribute with brotherhood love during my ’Starving Artist’ series. It takes a powerful person to be comfortable in their own skin knowing how the world reacts one way or another. It was always an honor to me that friend Gave a Buck and Held up a sign just like others would to be stronger in representation and allowing for the building of a world that addresses many things but brings comfort back to those who have been bullied and made awkward. An open world of acceptance to individuality.

‘Ursula Minor’ November 21, 2012, Philip A. Bonneau

'Ursula Minor' from The Heroes+Villains series. First debuted at Heroes+Villains #3 funded by a community of strangers and friends to bring a community together that also gave a buck about the message and importance of acceptance and individuality regardless of sexuality. The opening wasn’t exactly a sexual event but whatever happened after with people is their business. You would be amazed at the test of concept of all these characters on display and having a child not care one bit about the story behind the persons and completey enthralled with the connection of familiarity to what they have already been introducedtoo. Adults got the humor and others found the seriousness in some from their own life experiences.

The spirt of drag came from theatre in non-inclusive aspects of where women were not allowed at first and were eventually allowed in overtime into inclusiveness. There are Shakespearian movies available that went onto best pictures available to document that and start history lessons of bridging towards inclusiveness. My Ursula Minor (never referred to as that prior) is understanding the Little Guy and where we dip our interests in for sustainability and storytelling. Inspired also by Divine, it is the recognition of theatrics and inclusiveness into Renaissances. In what was my first dress designed and created. Phredd has a blast taking on a character that incorporated who he was, what he was representing and owning every aspect of that into his persona of Phreddastia. The things we do with trashbags, bubble wrap and some paints. Low-Brow because that is what was available financially, Low-Brow by choice later in capturing imagination of what you can do with what you have around you. We all start somewhere and grow from there in experience and interests. Always something hidden to be found and never fully spelled out.

Black Swan Revisited. Image from June 10, 2011. Reworked 2018. Philip A. Bonneau from ‘Laying Lies to Rest’

Phredd was always a supporter and when I returned back to Atlanta in 2018, I re-evaluated ‘Beautiful Layered Lies’ in a different aspect of ‘Laying Lies to Rest’. A stretch with once again support from Phredd in revisiting of topics of compassion, process and understanding. The beauty of brotherhood is probably why I love the term I’ve coined ’Sistem to Broments’. It is all the same think of being inclusive to one another and building in comfortability that doesn’t always necessitate full comfortability into areas of division. I’m still working out a solution to not put all the work on the Sistem while Broments occur. Eventually we can come together on terminality of common inclusivity and getting to know people.

Although Phredd is no longer with us physically as of this week, he remains in our hearts. In the image above from that first location revisited a few times with Phredd is a moment of appreciation of life and death. A butterfly that passed away and was never to noticed unlessed looked for was found. Compassion in gentle touch of giving life to something that has already passed to be appreciated and lives on. The picture above now the same to me of Butterfly to Phredd and I to Phredd and the butterfly in a building that is already torn down from its abandonment and disregard. The last video I saw of Phredd was him revisiting his old school and documenting the same story of abadonment from time weathered and worn ready to be picked up and revitalized and loved.

In what all we have of the world, Phredd was a stanch supporter to building community and their stories. Even in my ‘Day of Stonewall Past’ editorial and hinted at the above Ursula Minor image, support for breast cancer awareness. I suppose we can learn a great deal from Phreddtasia and Phredd Allen. He was never a villain to me ever although he played one once who might of just not been socially accepted and cast out and away. Imagine a completely different character than who you are now based any one single moment in your life and find out how positive infuence of acceptance can change the world for you in a heartbeat that stretches to the sound of your own life’s rhythms and tunes.

Lessons from Phredd that can only do the one thing we all try to do. Bridge stories and communities through connection. With sass at times, humors in others, seriousness in message and a gentle touch of vulnerability to open up when every reason in this world to be guarded from others.

Love you Phredd. U are honored in the most amazing way in my heart.

-Philip Arthur Bonneau

Editor’s Note 9/19/2022

Phredd Allen passed away September 10, 2022 Obituary

Original Note Published 9/17/2022