Pan reach
The National Pan History Project
The author Kim Johnson is on a mission to amass as many photographs capturing Trinidad and Tobago's national musical instrument, the Steelpan. The material is for a coffee table book entitled the National Archives of the Pan. The project is a thorough history of the steelpan's beginning from 1939 to its present day. The two hundred and fifty page document will examine the culture behind the only musical instrument invented in the twentieth century and its foundations integrated within Trinidad and Tobago.
An unknown steelband from San Fernando, Trinidad, courtesy of Kim Johnson
Mr. Johnson is appealing to the public for any photographs of the steelpan they may have of Trinidad carnival during the 1940 - 90s. A gem from those old steelband snapshots could find its way between the pages of the National Pan Archive Book. If you can contribute to this project, Kim Johnson can be emailed for further details.
Pan Am North Stars on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964. courtesy of Kim Johnson
No couture in design
The Publisher Robert & Christopher have released their second coffee table book relating to women artists and artisans from Trinidad and Tobago. This time, it is Meiling whose body of work is printed between the leaves of a 140 page book.
It is unclear how the publishers wished to represent the fashion designer as the format is too simplistic to show the strengths of her range. It would have been apt to have published a special edition magazine as the reproductions lack any sense of high couture for a book in its class.
Meiling's detail in her clothes are not explored, but rather the shoots from her collection that fill in the gaps. Nevertheless, it is an important document in archiving the much respected Trinidadian fashion designer. See their first book
How great the gift to encourage children to read and make a living by it through enlightenment, intrigue and persistence, all conceived on a note pad. - The Joanne Rowling " Harry Potter" success
This is the space of the Different View Bookshop in Trinidad and Tobago. The store has been in operation since 1996, and has catered to books related to self help, alternative and new age beliefs. The latter is what made the store unique. It also included a collection of contemporary writers and local books on Trinidad and Tobago.
It also has been the liming spot for thebookmann and Adele, and a place where we discussed the best of life as it is dealt to us in many ways and sometimes you could hear laugher from the sidewalk of Woodbrook, that belonged to Elsbeth, the owner. But at the end of August, 2007 many doors will be closed, affecting us all. So to Carol, Stuart, Natasha, Adele, Richard and most to Elsbeth it is time to say farewell for those wonderful Saturdays.
The different View book shop for the month of August is having a closing down sale on all items in the store. Stock items are reduced by 50 percent. It is the time for readers to get a bargain or two from their popular authors.
Different View Warren & Gallus Streets, Woodbrook, Trinidad - (868) 622-3648 or you may email Here for enquirers.
To what fortunes I do reap so shall I stand in testimony of my deeds
The narrow passage that separated Trinidad from the mainland suggested waters that flowed downhill like a biblical river that flowed out of Eden
The mouth of the Orinoco River - Christobal Colon 1498 From the Columbus Diary
Plato came to his surprising philosophy of two worlds; the world of ideas, strong and perfect as the world of geometry, and the world of things. Before a man is born, his soul lives in a world of ideas and afterwards doing mathematics he simply remembers what his soul has learned in a world of ideas.
Greek ethics were embodied in four virtues: Courage, meaning physical and moral bravery;
Temperance, in the sense of nothing too much, or as Pericles put it, "Our love of what is beautiful does not lead us to extravagance" Justice, which meant rendering to each person what was due; and Wisdom, the pursuit of truth.
The philosopher Hsun Tzu from the Chou dynasty believed that Rites rest on three bases: Heaven, earth, and ancestors. Rites are at their best when men's emotions and sense of beauty are fully expressed.
A series of 12 layouts from a project called the Millennium Diary deigned, written and published in 1998. It consisted of illustrations and quotes to describe our brief existence, that is from the time-tine on this planet. -thebookmann & Adele
Thought about the universe in the centuries before Copernicus was dominated by the philosophy of Plato and Aristotle. According to Aristotle, the Earth was the centre of the universe. The four elements, earth, water, air and fire were naturally disposed in concentric spheres, earth at the centre. Outside these were the crystal spheres on which the heavenly bodies rotated. Heavy objects fell because they sought their natural place. These were natural motions. All other kinds of motion were violent motions.
The search for Life
In 1965 Physicist Robert Dicke determined a certain frequency of radio waves that come from all directions in Space simultaneously.Like radio listeners pulling out of the night the signal of a faraway station, they had heard the voice of creation.
Astronomers Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson were using an antenna to listen to radio waves from the Milky Way. They were puzzled by a faint background noise that seemed to be coming evenly from all parts of the sky. When they heard about Dicke's work, and compared the frequency and intensity of the radiation, the mystery faded. the phenomenon, called "Background Radiation" was thought to be echoes of the Big Bang.
After all
Astronauts viewing the Earth from the outer stratosphere feel homesickness, a longing for the Earth as home. From where they are, one finger could block the planet from view, thus reinforcing how insignificant we really are.
A series of 12 layouts from a project called the Millennium Diary deigned, written and published in 1998. It consisted of illustrations and quotes to describe our brief existence, that is from the time-tine on this planet. -thebookmann & Adele
Central to Buddhist thought is the doctrine of Four Truths:
1. That existence is suffering (dukkha)
2. That this suffering has a purpose (samudaya)
3. That it can be suppressed (nirodha)
4. That there is a way (magga) to accomplish the noble path
François Fourier, b.1772
The French philosopher believed in a universal principle of harmony, manifested by four factors: The material universe, organic life, animal life, and human society. This harmony, Fourier says, can flourish only when the restraints of conventional social behaviour placed upon the gratification of desire have been abolished, allowing people to live free and complete lives.
Discours sur l'homme / Discourse on Man.
The French writer Voltaire, the first historian of civilisation, urged readers to consult only reason and their own sense in understanding the dogmas of church and state.
A series of 12 layouts from a project called the Millennium Diary deigned, written and published in 1998. It consisted of illustrations and quotes to describe our brief existence, that is from the time-tine on this planet. -thebookmann & Adele
Genesis
Our earth, the Soul of the living, and the Sun, the God of life, are built from ashes of dead stars, and human beings and all forms of life are a collection of atoms forged in stellar furnaces. All chemistry and therefore all of life have been formed by stars. We are literally children of their conception.
A time to live, a time to die - Our Sun
The Aztecs of the Americas believed the sun was the source of all life; they called it Ipalnemohuani,"He by whom the people live." Since the heart is the symbol and vessel of life, the hearts of the living people and animals were sacrificed to the Sun god.
Life is established
The English scientist Charles Darwin imagined a plausible theory for life's emergence. In a letter he wrote in 1871, Darwin suggested that life arose in a "warm pond" where a rich brew of organic chemicals over eons may have been the catalyst to the formation of the first simple organisms.
A series of 12 layouts from a project called the Millennium Diary deigned, written and published in 1998. It consisted of illustrations and quotes to describe our brief existence, that is from the time-tine on this planet. -thebookmann & Adele
A book mistaken for a padded toilet seat
The marketing promoters have decided to produce a book related to the World Cup Cricket which looks like a padded toilet seat. Peter Murray is the author behind, World Cup Cricket and it is designed to have a play on cricket itself. The burgundy cover resembles a cork ball measuring 12ins in diameters.
The venture into its usual design may have been a costly one because it required a special die-cut. Yet, the contents has a less appealing scope, particularly due to the doctored photographs which makes you question if they author had the legal right is use them.
World Cup Cricket, a souvenir for many cricket fans as Trinidad and Tobago and parts of the West Indies host the competition.
Goldsmith is a book filled with clean, precise colour plates reflecting on a subject that deserves much attention for its details - It is on the art of Jewelery and Barbara Jardine is the recipient of the coffee table book, entitled, Barbara Jardine, Goldsmith, published by Robert and Christopher.
Robert Campbell took a gamble and produced one of the finest coffee table books printed in Trinidad and Tobago. He also had the incentive to photograph one of Barbara Jardine’s prized pieces, Warrior at the British Victoria and Albert Museum in London. The genesis of the project came soon after the exhibition, Flux and Fire which was held at the National Museum of Trinidad and Tobago in 2005 and was a show on five jewelers
Goldsmith expands on the Barbara Jardine's repertoire of three decades and offers a privy to her personal life. This is the first in the series of Art books highlighting female artisans in Trinidad and Tobago. The reasoning behind this, Mr. Campbell says, is that they are generally overshadowed by their male counterpart and it is time to recognize the contributions of artists like Jardine, the first of three to come.
The Warrior piece which is the collection from the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, England.
One of the challenges of picture books is the familiarity one has with the images. How can the photographer take us away from the familiar and show us something new? That is one of the major challenges of such a book. People unfamiliar with Trinidad and Tobago would enjoy a reflection of the countries, but for those of us who know the place, it is a bit harder to see the body of work in this book as special or different. That said, it is still wonderful to see a year in the two island state represented here, and occasionally one can come across an interesting eye, as the people of the SWWTU Hall would attest. I think that one of the challenges of this book is the odd use of themes throughout. By categorising the work into sections, the last section seems like a catch-all and that throws you a bit. Also the layout does not always enhance the photography as the section on flora and fauna shows. Images are placed in such a way that the work has an almost clinical study quality that can be seen in any botanical or biology book. See his exhibition of SWWTU, Back In Times
Where Mr. Smailes' skills peak through are in works such as the hands of toil. But again this book could have been better served by a clear decision being made as to what each work in every section was trying to convey,and thus known, sizes, shapes and placements adjusted to suit. The dust jacket prepares you for something very dynamic and exciting inside and then the choices let you down. However the book does succeed in doing what it is made to do, and that is, please the tourist. - Adele
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How is Trinidad and Tobago interpreted through the eyes of an outsider? What reflects our true essence? A glossy coffee table photographic book is here to answer these questions. The British photographer, Alex Smailes has canvassed across the country to document landmarks, cultural observances and facets of our culture which we take for granted and a portfolio of the photographer's work is represented in Land, People, Carnival, Aquatic and Wildlife.
The photographer Alex Smailes at CCA7, Trinidad
Alex Smailes' cover of the Blue Devil Mas
Over the years books on photography have been rare and expensive to produce. With improved technology and larger markets, many more books are now out in bookstores. One remembers the work of Noel Norton, but recently, there have been the art of Jackie Hinkson and LeRoy Clarke. Now the work of Stefan Falke, Jeffrey Chock and Alex Smailes are published to give readers a photographic look at the two small Caribbean islands. They are all professional photographers, and all books are all hard cover for its Coffee Table appeal.
Jeffrey Chock's poorly printed book
In the case of the first two, carnival in Trinidad and Tobago, with one emphasizing the Keylemenjahro Moko Jumbies. For those who know the culture of Trinidad and Tobago they are a captured slice of life, and for those for whom the islands are an exotic fantasy, these books offer photographs that show why in all its exaggerated splendor! The most creative compositional interpretations coming from the book by Stefan Falke, who manages to bring a striking sense of novelty to his subject matter. Now available a bit of nostalgia from the eye of three photographers. - Adele
Stefan Falke's Moko Jumbies - The Dancing Spirits of Trinidad, 2004.
Disclaimer:
Views expressed on thebookmann are not affiliated with any Art Organizations and an “Art Review” may be open to interpretation as it is an observation at face value.
Amendments to such articles if misleading or with grammatical errors shall be corrected accordingly.
All photographs, Feinin studies, accompanying quotes, articles and visual headers appearing on site are the exclusive property of Richard Bolai © 2004 - 2010 All Rights Reserved.
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