Francomenz

Chihuly in Conservatory

Originally uploaded by j58.

Okay, okay, I admit it. The week before Carnvial 2K6, as cynical as I was about the festival’s suerficiality and commercialism, I did indeed “catch the fever”. I say this with a certain mesaure of relief, because the sense of detatchment I had been feeling was beginning to seem unnatural to me; a kind of exile imposed by the nemesis of Shadow’s Bass Man from Hell, who, instead of commanding me to dance and sing, thought my time would be better spent on the sidelines, like a Greek Chorus, telling everyone what was wrong with the Carnival morass. But here’s the thing – the Chorus never has any fun.

Had I stayed in Trinidad, I would have been pulling strings to get two costumes for Monday and Tuesday and may even have been spotted on J’ouvert morning. But since I’d already booked flights outta here, my Carnival escape was filled with other fun activities, not the least of which was the Chihuly Night Exhibition at Fairchild, which is quite a different experience from seeing the blown glass installations in the daytime. Not being willing to travel with a tripod for my trusty camera, I had to play around with the settings to avoid the harsh glare of the flash, but this is one of the better shots, taken in the Conservatory. The folks at Fairchild really put on a show, complete with violinists to lend even greater ambience.

Carnival Boat, Dale Chihuly

Originally uploaded by caribbeanfreephoto.

I’m still on my Chihuly kick and this one’s particularly relevant because as the song goes, “it’s Carnival time again” in Trinidad and Tobago. This year, our world-famous festival, literally translated as “farewell to the flesh” (carne vale) will have hundreds of thousands of locals and visitors alike jumping and wining (explained in Cote Ce Cote La, the official dictionary for Trini-isms as “rotating the waist and hips in a suggestive manner”) in the streets of any city, town or village that has the inclination, the creativity and the sound system to “play ‘mas”.

Come Carnival Monday and Tuesday, (this year they fall on February 27 and 28, but are always the two days preceding Ash Wednesday) as Jour Ouvert (pronounced Jou-vay, patois for “the opening of day”) ushers in the official start of the celebration with traditional characters like the Jab Jab, Trinidad’s capital, Port of Spain, is both literally and symbolically transformed from darkness into light as the “pretty mas” takes to the streets in a rush of colour, fuelled by the seductive, pounding rhythm that overcomes you and makes you surrender to its heady spell. It’s positively intoxicating, even without the Angostura bitters.

What does this have to do with Dale Chihuly’s art, at least a three-hour plane ride away? His Carnival Boat embodies the spirit of T&T Carnival, the greatest show on earth. I love the way the dark, lurking waters give way to the festive spectacle of the boat, filled with glass of all shapes, sizes and colours, revelers in a band. There is celebration, unity, regardless of colour. In fact, its diversity is what makes the piece special. The stunning reflection of the boat on the water underlines the connectivity of light and darkness, the surface and what lies beneath, often portrayed in our Carnival as the juxtaposition of the sacred and the profane.

It also doesn’t matter what forces have conspired to shape the glass; they’re all in the same boat, going in the same direction – something to keep in mind as T&T struggles with an upsurge in crime and people cut themselves off from one another, building stronger fences and higher walls. Trinbagonians have often been accused of having a “Carnival mentality”, but this can be a good thing if we take the best of what Carnival offers us – vision, dedication, creativity, inclusiveness, joy, hard work followed by its pleasurable rewards – and perhaps most importantly, as Brother Marvin so eloquently put it in his calypso Jahaji Bhai, brotherhood.

Oak Tree Close Up

Originally uploaded by j58.

I took this shot on Old Year’s Day (or as they say in other parts of the globe, New Year’s Eve) and thought it quite appropriate.

Chihuly’s Chartreuse Hornet Polyvitro Chandelier (2001) – especially from this angle where the light gives the piece added dimension – seems to represent the promise of a new day; a new year; hope and endless possibility.

Richard H. Simmons Rainforest 3

Originally uploaded by j58.

These are some of Chihuly’s Fiddleheads emerging from the undergrowth of the Richard H. Simons Rainforest at Fairchild.

Not only was I mesmerized by the colour, I loved the sensuality of the lines – their grace reminds me of the long, elegant necks of tropical birds – or perhaps the mystical movement of charmed snakes.

Arid Garden 2

Originally uploaded by j58.

This was one of my favourite parts of the exhibition because it really showed Chihuly’s understanding of art and environment.

While every piece of blown glass was perfectly placed throughout the gardens, to me it seems infinitely more difficult to integrate something this vibrant into a minimalist, desert-like landscape.

The fact that the vista would be significantly less stunning without Chihuly’s Red Reeds is testament to his genius.

Benjamin Rush Sibley Victoria Amazonica Pool

Originally uploaded by j58.

Chihuly’s Niijima Floats imparted a sense of tranquility to everyone who gathered on the benches dotting the pond’s edge. Couples were holding hands, friends were chatting, parents were bonding with children suddenly rendered quiet and well-behaved. No-one wanted to leave this perfect world.

Notice the huge Victoria amazonica, the largest of all the waterlilies, scattered in between Chihuly’s colourful orbs. Their leaves sometimes reach almost 3 m in diameter, on stalks between 7-8 m in length. The lily is named (as you should deduce!) after Queen Victoria and is native to the Amazon basin. Guyana, a CARICOM country geographically located in South America, is well known for its water lilies – so much so that the Victoria amazonica is depicted on the country’s coat of arms.

Its flowers (white at the first appearance; pink thereafter) are reportedly spectacular to see, and wildly fragrant (supposedly a curious mix of bananas and ripe pineapple) but they only bloom at night.