An original by Ulric Joseph, Colorful Influences 28, 2020, photography, 13 x 19 in., $250

Growing up in Trinidad, I have always been surrounded by color but it held no significance for me in my formative years. I just used color in my work loosely, without really understanding how dynamic it is, and the role it played in my life until now. Having lived in the US for the past fifteen years, color became less and less important in my everyday life which is in stark contrast to colorful environment I was raised in. Color existed naturally everywhere, in the trees, the plants, the people and most notably the Mas.

Mas, the creolized term for the masquerade tradition at the heart of Trinidad and Tobago’s carnival, is the creative force that gives the festival its meaning. Carnival is a national festival in Trinidad and Tobago which takes place on the Monday and Tuesday before Lent each year, but Carnival festivities really begin shortly after Christmas the previous year. This is when designers ­ colloquially called masmen or maswomen ­ begin to develop their concepts for the costumes and performances for the next annual celebrations. Their designs, worn by bands that may include hundreds or thousands of people, are made fresh every year,because all carnival costumes are rubbished after the festival ends. During Carnival, masqueraders filter into the streets to “play mas” on a grand scale, as the streets act like veins leading the colourful masqueraders to a massive stage, in the heart of the capital, where they are judged based on such elements as the concept and intricacy of the designs of the individual costumes, and the ways in which the mass of costumed bodies, animated by a selection of music and choreography, create a visual story.

With this body of work I decided to take a closer look at the colorful surroundings which

influenced me and so many others by taking a look at a subsection of the Carnival called Kiddies Carnival. This is an opportunity for kids to participate in the Carnival festivities but it is also, where I believe, the best designs and use of color is showcased, in contrast to the Grown­up Mas which has become famous for it’s scantily clothed revelers and more generic design.

Carnival has become synonymous with brilliant colors and it is my contention that the flora and fauna of the Caribbean played a large part in inspiring the masmen and maswomen and by extension the population as a whole.

Ulric Joseph