Palace of the Peacock

Descending unto Heights

We descended into the depths of a blue basin in North Trinidad for this shoot. As I set up with Alan Vaughan and his Moko Somōkōw band, bringing the characters from Wilson Harris' 1960 novel, "Palace of the Peacocks" to life upon the heights of their stilts, a local youth approached. He took in the setting, the costumes and the stiltwalkers, and said "I will be your lookout!" He understood the assignment.

We descended from Moko, we see evil from afar.

The story of "Palace of the Peacocks" is about a group of people who embark on a treacherous journey into the Guayanese interior. What is real versus perception and conception become apparent as the characters make their way further into the hinterland.

For a long time after these images came out, I could not do another shoot. I questioned if I had reached the height of my creative career, if I would ever meet or surpass this. At the shoot, I knew I wanted smoke to create an other-worldly feeling. At one point, the kindling for the small fire ran out, and I resorted to ripping off piece of t-shirt material to use as kindling. It worked, and it was only at that point I relaxed into the shoot. I think about that moment, and what is real versus envisioned. I continue to try to surpass the creative heights of this shoot.

I descended from Moko, I see evil from afar.