I am so ordering this, right now! Right along with that Mas Man, the Movie DVD. There are many reasons why I heart Peter Minshall's work, but the main one is undoubtedly his creative genius and technical skill.
Minsh did not invent, or even re-invent that symbolic wheel. But he sure knew how to work it, every which way in his Mas' presentations!
So to get a glimpse into the inner machinations of the artist (not 'Carnival/Mas' Artist' but just an Artist with a capital 'A.' Mas' is the medium, much like pastels were Degas'.) get your hands on a copy of the above book, 'Looking at the Spirits.'
Published by The Drawing Center in NYC, its pages are filled with precious preliminary sketches of costumes from Minshall's past presentations.
For the uninitiated eye, scratchy, scribbly sketches can appear to be a waste of time, but really, they're like a road map to understanding a work of art and an artist's creative process.
A very purchase-worthy piece, if I might say so; thanks to artist Brian Wong Won for the heads up!
LMN Harris
NB Image courtesy The Drawing Center.
I have to get this...