Image Nation

2007-10-21T17:44:00.000-07:00

These are some of the pieces that i submitted in the exhibition... 2 of which sold... please feel free to contact me if you would like to purchase in of these pieces...

2007-10-21T13:32:00.000-07:00

Firstly people, let me apologise for the lack of updates on my blog… school and work have taken their toll on what’s left of my sanity… anyway we are well on our way toward Carnival 2008 with our presentation La Brea. We had a successful launch which was broken up into three parts (I’ll post pix later) we started proceedings off with an art exhibition featuring work from Image Nation members (yes people we are ridiculously talented) this was followed by a fashion show featuring designs by Robert Young of The Cloth, and the finale was the parade of costumes. The launch was well received by the audience and I believe that we have set a standard as far as Carnival launches go.

Well… here are some pix from our photo shoots (yes multiple shoots)… for some reason the other committee members elected me to be in charge of the photo shoots, from cleaning and organising the space to be used… to organising and providing models… I think it went well and we got some great shots…

The hardest and the most fun part of the shoot fuh me was getting people to relax and enjoy themselves… unlike other Carnival bands, we don’t want that stiff and serious look that models tend to put on when being photographed, the models should reflect what the band is about and for Image Nation it’s all about having fun and enjoying yuhself.

And I must say I am seriously thinking about changing my profession to include modelling I fabulous and I know it!

2007-02-21T21:18:00.000-08:00

Tuesday was a good day on the road... besides a few minor hiccups... it was a great experience and people fully enjoyed themselves... a contingent of Nigerians came down to play mas.. and while the papers stated that they were to play with tribe.. they were in our band... having a wonderful time... they even blessed us with one of their traditional dances using our shields... who could ask for more...

here are some more images... for even more pictures check out our website www.imagenationltd.com

2007-02-21T21:13:00.000-08:00

here are some shots from the adult band on Monday... i was not on the road Monday because i had to finish the shields for Tuesday's presentation, (poor work by the screen printer pushed my production back quite a few days)

2007-02-21T21:10:00.000-08:00

here are some shots for the children's band from red cross

2007-02-21T19:31:00.000-08:00

well it's over... and let me tell you.. it was a lot more difficult than i expected.. this is literally the first free time i've had to post stuff up since my last posting. Our band did very well for a first time showing; we acheived third place band of the year medium... for this we are very happy and grateful to all of our masqueraders and supporters... we will continue to build and grow as a band and as an entity as a whole...

we still have to collect the results on our children's band... but in the mean time.. i'll post up[ as many pictures as i possibly can...

2007-02-05T09:07:00.000-08:00

We have just finished painting the backgrounds for the shields... we decided that instead of painting the entire shield... we will have the black areas screen printed and paint everything else to help reduce production time without reducing quality...

on a side note.. it's a celebration!!!! happy birthday to me!!!!!!!

2007-02-05T08:36:00.000-08:00

Last night Image Nation took the stage at the Soca Monarch semi-finals alongside Michelle Sylvester. Early last week She had apporached us to organise costumes for her performance, which we were happy to provide... this coming year should be a very interesting one... Carnival Monday and Tuesday look to be very good for us and our future is already bright...

here are some images from lastnight's event...

2007-02-01T17:36:00.000-08:00

Production is in full swing and the mascamp is as lively as ever... I'm always amazed at the energy level that seems to simply materialise around Carnival every year... the more people there are.. the more energy and the faster the work goes... here are some shots of works in progress. Our mascamp wall is now adorned with murals courtesy James Hackett...

as well, here are some shots of typical mascamp work... (yuh wouldn't believe de kinda shit talk dat does pass in de camp eh.. lawd fadda.. ah laugh till meh head hurt meh...)

we are scheduled to appear on Synergy TV tomorrow the 2nd of February so look out for us there.

these are some shots from our Jungle promotion and give away at Down Home Beer Garden a few weeks ago...

2007-01-29T16:55:00.000-08:00

Image Nation was at hilton all inclusive this weekend doing some promotions.. here are some of the images from there

2007-01-18T06:32:00.000-08:00

Last week Thursday we had the form 4 art students at Bishops Centenary coming into the mascamp to view our costumes as well as talk with the designer, their teacher was a former student of Patrick and is also on our production team. One of the topics the art students were covering this term would be surface design and decoration and what better and more practical way to demonstrate that than in a mascamp with the costumes as examples. Patrick went through some of his design process and ideas behind the band, and the young ladies were very attentive and asked a lot of questions. Their teacher, afterwards, said that many of them expressed interest in wanting to lend a hand in production... these could be the future mas makers.

Letters have been sent out inviting other schools in the area to come and learn about mas and mas making, something that we started with the children's band a number of years ago... once an appreciation for our culture is developed from (and with the) young, our future becomes brighter... Image Nation is all about that...

2007-01-12T04:26:00.000-08:00

wow... it's amazing the amount of work that needs to be done... serious late nights into early mornings... the theme of the children's band mirrors that of the adult band ... "Trinidad Jungle" is the portrayal...

TRINIDAD JUNGLE

As the Trinidad Jungle environment was being badly burnt and destroyed, Mama Jungle called her children and led them to a sacred and secret place.

Using the light rays from the El Tucuche moonlight, they came from Tucker Valley, Tamana, Aripo, El Tucuche, Matura and Biche

Mama Jungle led them to the agreed meeting place on the sacred Anaparima hill.

Just as they settled down, there was a commotion and in burst The Lord of the Flames. He knew that if he conquered Mama Jungle, especially in front of her children, the Trinidad Jungle would be lost forever and he would reign supreme.

So Mama Jungle and The Lord of the Flames met in a ring made by the children of the jungle.

The battle ebbed back and forth and just as the Lord of the Flames seemed to be getting the upper hand, Mama Jungle blasted him with the last bit of strength in her body. The Lord of the Flames was rocked and he ran away vowing to never stop his attack on the jungle.
The Trinidad Jungle children danced in delight.

story and designs by Patrick Roberts

2007-01-07T06:48:00.000-08:00

Our "Jungle Fridays" continue every week... and is getting bigger with each passing week... and as always everyone is welcome... here are some pics from our lime on the 5th of January...

2006-12-28T08:02:00.000-08:00

As we speak, our designers Patrick Roberts and Marie Eligon are in Nigeria promoting and producing Trinidad style Carnival. Two years ago the Nigerian consulate played with 2 Peas and D Pod. They were impressed with the design and quality of the costumes as well as the service, they invited the designers to come to Nigeria and hold workshops and assist in developing their Carnival last year. As a result of that visit, Patrick and Marie are back in Nigeria doing what they do best, making quality mas... Nigeria's Carnival was scheduled for Boxing day this year, so congrats to them.

2006-12-28T07:41:00.000-08:00

Apart from the after work limes we have been hosting, we have teamed up with a campus carnival band, the Red Jokers. Red Jokers launched their campus Carnival band on the UWI campus last Thursday, we had a presence on campus displaying some of our costumes in the party... here are some highlights...

2006-12-28T07:30:00.000-08:00

sorry about my lack of updating, exams took priority... but we have been busy regardless...

At our mascamp in woodbrook, #39 Buller Street, we started having after work limes every friday from about 6pm. Our first lime after christmas will be next week so if you're interested come on through on the 5th of January and have a drink and look at some costumes.

Here are some photos from our last after work lime...

yeah.. and if yuh reach early yuh might be able tuh get food an ting...

so the 5th of January.. big after work lime.. tell yuh friends and make a pass.. check we out at the corner of French and Buller Streets in Woodbrook.

2006-11-17T05:15:00.000-08:00

We (Image Nation) have always believed that education is very important... and education through carnival is one method to get information out and across... earlier this year, one of the members of image nation and a good friend of mine, Kenwyn Murray, held a mas design workshop as his final year project at the University of the West Indies... (he has since graduated and is furthering his education in cultural studies at UWI)

"Masked Agenda, in simple terms was a ‘Mas’ design workshop. “Mas” in this case referred to the visual art of the Trinidad Carnival festival. It could easily have been called a costume design workshop but this label did not represent the historical or social context or the peculiar aesthetics that are attached to Trinidad’s ‘Mas’. ‘Mas’ design is a special skill that has never been taught in a formal setting. The primary aim of the workshop therefore was to create a model for the aesthetics of Carnival design to be taught in a structured environment.
The project had four specific aims:-
1. To educate young visual artists in the aesthetics of carnival Design
2. To create links between young artists and established carnival artists
3. to construct a social infrastructure for sustainable growth and creative development
4. To produce a carnival product that is highly marketable outside of the carnival context.

Whilst the main aim was “To educate young visual artists in the aesthetics of carnival design” the hidden agenda was to build an infrastructure of educated individuals. The “masked” purpose of the project was to inculcate an interest and respect for the carnival process in the participants that they will take into their individual endeavors. This is based on the idea that the industry grows through the strength of the people who patronize it. All of the participants will not all become Carnival designers but it was intended for each of them to value the process enough to support it. This was why it was not identified as a costume design workshop. It dealt more with the value of the ethos behind this cultural phenomenon of Trinidad than it did with costumes. The costumes, as in the festival itself were a byproduct."

so basically, he took a group of young visual arts.. who had little or mostly no pryor knowledge of mas making and put them into a mas environment and encouraged them to create.. to guide them... Kenwyn invited recognised and sucessful mas designers... Stephen Derek, Patrick Roberts, Randal Halfide, Geraldo Viera Jr. Lisa Molleneau, Sean Leonard and Marlon Griffith. Peter Minshall was approached.. but could not make it due to overburdened schedule.

this was a great programme i thought.. because it taught them that makin mas wasn't about "prettyin up" a bath suit... they had to come up with a theme... do research... do sketches and follow a design process... decide what materials to use in the costume's construction... then build the costume... (suddenly makin mas doh sound so easy eh) with guidance and help from the designers.. the end results were amazing... especially for a bunch of first timers

(now what de hell i goin an do fuh my final year project??? steups!!!!!)

2006-11-15T05:27:00.000-08:00

This year, under the mantle of 2 Peas and D Pod... we brought out a small band entitled "Colourseum" .... there was a lot of copper work in this band.. all of which we did by hand... i got a little experience in molding and shaping the metal... it was a great learning experience for us all...

all of our headpieces were decorated with copper... i was initially worried about the heat.. but the insulation of the rest of the headpiece made it a non factor.. and when de sun it it.. lawd fadder... prettiness fuh days... also we made copper jewelry taht people wore as well

on monday.. people were give large sheets of fabric with the "colourseum" logo on it.. to wear as a toga... any which way they wanted...

prior tuh "Colourseum" which was a band onto itself produced by 2 Peas and D Pod... we were a part of Masquerade, bringing out five sections with them for three years... with one of the "Ps" missing... the mas company is now Image Nation... with the same designers and same production team.. the quality remains the same.. high and very afforadable...

2006-11-14T21:21:00.000-08:00

we have been producing a children's band for almost 14 years.. and as our head designer, Patrick Roberts says, the children's band is the testing field for the adult band... the children's band is my pet project... there is no better feeling than spending countless weeks and months working on costumes.. night after night... and hear nah.. gettin bun with hot glue eh as fun as it sounds eh... but... all ah dat does be worth it tuh see the children out on the road.. playin ah mas... i always think to myself "i love our carnival"

the initial ideas for these shields that are to be used in "Jungle" came from a children's band we brought out 2 years ago entitled "bush bush" dealing with the forests of Trinidad and Tobago.. and the constant danger we continue to put it in... these shields were also hand painted... my role then.. as it is now.. was to actually design the motifs that were to be painted onto the fabric... so... as any good designer would do.. i did my research into the animals native to our country.. then... i had to design images to portray these animals... but in a simple and graphic manner... these are the designs i came up with..

me among my work... lol (paintin the shields are a group effort... many people come in and lend a hand fuh free... because no-one really gets paid for workin on the band.. including myself and patrick..

the children's band has been a labour of love and will continue to be...

2006-11-14T06:23:00.000-08:00

Along with the costumes, 5 of the sections will have standards, in the form of shields, which will be hand painted and have an amazing visual effect on the road.

here i am painting the shield for the Oceanic Jungle section...

these are the shields for Indomayalan and Afrotropic Jungles

2006-11-13T09:51:00.000-08:00

2006-11-13T08:54:00.000-08:00

These are the photos from the official shoot.. enjoy!!!

2006-11-10T04:57:00.000-08:00

The mas looks at tropical world jungles in their pristine form and moves to what an uncaring man has and is doing to this most precious of God’s gifts. With world deforestation currently estimated at a staggering two acres per minute, Image Nation’s jungle is a timely reminder to all of us to curb our ways as even the simple act of throwing a plastic bag into the drains makes its way watercourses and eventually back into our system.

Jungle is an all inclusive band catering to 800 masqueraders in eleven sections whose spectrum ranges from the neotropic jungle to the prosperity jungle, a glimpse into the real wealth of a proper symbiotic relationship between man and jungle.

here's a sneek peek at two of the costumes, please note that these are not the official phots but rather test shots the designer took to see the costume's effect.