The Tribune

By JEFFARAH GIBSON

Tribune Features Writer

jgibson@tribunemedia.net

NOW that the biggest local art tour has come to a close, Bahamian photographer Dominic Cant is focusing his lens on a unique project that will raise funds for Bahamas National Trust.

Dominic was among the many local and international artists who participated in the Transforming Spaces Art Tour 2014. From a very early age, Dominic was drawn to the environment and developed a passion for it.

Through his photography he has always sought to capture the beauty of the surroundings that are taken for granted by others.

Dominic, who studied at the Winchester School of Art in England, has spent much of his time around water, working on a fish farm where he managed day-to-day operations. Water is a key subject in his photographic work.

Dominic’s newest undertaking aims to raise awareness of the environment and support efforts by the BNT.

“It is an app for smart phones – ‘A Birder’s Guide to the Bahamas’,” he told Tribune Arts and Entertainment.

“I created it several months ago using my bird photographs as well as my simple understanding of HTML coding. It took a year to create, but I was unable to finalise it, as the coding needed exceeded my abilities. Fortunately, I met Marisa Ahwai from e-Biz who volunteered her services to help me finalise the app. We still may need to raise funds for unavoidable costs, but hopefully that should not be a problem.”

Dominic said the project will be launched shortly.

“I am passionate about the environment. They say that no species lasts forever and life will continue long after we are gone, but we have the unearned power to determine which life forms live on after us and that is a heavy responsibility,” he said.  

“I believe there is only one true artist, ‘Mother Nature’, and we merely mimic what we see and experience: ‘Art is not something you create, it is something you discover’. This is why I stopped painting, to lose the pretence and display the real artist at hand,” he said.

With his passion for the environment, Dominic submitted work to Transforming Spaces that reflected this love. He said the experience was a rewarding one and helped him become more proactive with his art.

“Being able to be part of such an outstanding show gave me the confidence and pride to present to a much larger audience. This was my first time submitting my artwork in Transforming Spaces. In the past, I was not very proactive in displaying my artwork, something that I am trying to change,” he told Tribune Arts and Entertainment.

Dominic’s two pieces he submitted were “Agape” and ‘Tree of Life”, because they represent the environmental side of his work.

He said “Tree of Life” is a “celebration of life and the tree that protects it.”

“Red Mangroves are an ecosystem all on their own, where much of our marine life find sanctuary in their first years of life. A majestic plant our oceans could not do without,” he said.

“Agape is a place where the land embraces the sea and awaits the setting sun. A local secret right here in Nassau.”