Through the eyes of the creator

TRAVON Barker describes himself as a simple person who loves and appreciates his work. But his work speaks volumes about him as a photographer, an entrepreneur and a pioneer in Guyanese photography and the creative arts. By curating ‘ The butterfly effect’, an exhibition aimed at bringing together 30 creative pieces from Guyana’s best photographers, Travon is now working on making a dream of his and many other Guyanese photographers a possibility. With photographs depicting everything from landscape and architecture to Fine Art and Fashion, The Butterfly Effect aims to create an immersive experience by telling stories through the eyes of the photographer.

Travon grew up around the capital city, living with a single parent and his extended family. Travon successfully completed his secondary education at St. Joseph High before moving to the University of Guyana. That is where his love for art manifested in the form of architecture.

The move from a career in architecture to the field of photography was one of necessity, luck, and a specific series of events. Because of the inability to find work as an architect, Travon moved on to working with different companies. At one of these jobs, the opportunity to practise photography presented itself, and he took it.

“At that point, I was a part of the logistics staff. We had two photographers and a videographer on staff,” Travon said, “but there was an event that we went to that the photographers were too tired to work. And I decided how hard it could be.” His first shoot was a success, and in many ways changed the trajectory of his life.

LEARNING TO PAINT WITH LIGHT

It is said that like beauty, art lies in the eyes of the beholder. But Travon believes that art also comes from the creator. This is why he refers to photography as ‘painting with light’. Travon believes that the talent and intuition it takes to take a good picture, despite how natural it could be, has to be honed and developed.

Today, Travon is the mind behind Keynote Productions and several other endeavours. But getting to this stage required a lot of hard work, money, time, dedication and passion. Travon told the Pepperpot Magazine, “Everything I wanted to learn, I made it my duty to learn. When I first started, I needed to understand the fundamentals and basics of photography, and that was taught to me by a fellow photographer.” Taking his next steps, Travon moved further into the field of photography, making waves as he did so.

“From then on, most of it was me putting in the time, spending hours on YouTube and practising to learn the more advanced techniques,” Travon stated. The challenges he faced in developing his skills and gaining a clientele, coupled with the task of getting noticed pushed him to want to see better procedures regarding photography in Guyana.

This, like the implementation of copyright laws, among other things, Travon believes will help in the development of the photography and videography sector. Travon himself received a creative grant from the Ministry of Culture Youth and Sport, which played a big role in kickstarting The Butterfly Effect.

His passion and drive for photography, capturing a moment crafted with light, is what motivated Travon on his journey. And it is what has brought him thus far. “Being a lover of the Arts, it dawned on me that this is something that I could do. And, since 2017, six years later, four cameras later and millions of dollars and hours invested, I am now considered one of the best photographers in the country,” he said.

THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT

Last year saw the first-ever Butterfly Effect being hosted. It featured several pieces by Travon, and was a huge success in solo art galleries. But this year’s Butterfly Effect is taking a step forward, as it aims to feature 30 pieces from an array of local photographers to exhibit the extent of Guyana’s creatives.

Being able to allow other photographers to have their work exhibited and admired is one of Travon’s biggest motivators. He explained that he fully understands the challenges photographers face. “I worked very hard to get myself to a financial position to pull off a solo gallery, and it is not that easy,” he said, adding:
“I understand, because the art form is so underpaid and uncompensated, it would be very difficult for other persons to reach that financial level. I am doing this to show that we don’t need to be billionaires to do this; all we need is support, collaboration, and we can make this work.”

The Butterfly Effect will be hosted on November 13 at Castellani House at 16:00hrs, beginning with a cocktail hour before the 30 art pieces are unveiled. The event promises an evening of art, fine wine, music and entertainment. Virtual and physical tickets can be sourced on Potsalt Events website, and from Travon himself.

As an artist or a lover of anything creative, The Butterfly Effect is the perfect chance to indulge in the Arts. And to those who are art lovers, Travon would like to encourage them to just take a look at the art. “For the non-art lovers who are just there for the entertainment, take a peek at the art to understand what we do. I am trying to create an experience that could match art galleries that are done internationally,” Travon said. So, whether or not art and photography is your thing, come out to experience The Butterfly Effect for all that it has to offer.