WHO?
My name is Nibo Gutter. I’m 38, I was born in Frederikshavn but have lived in Byrum for all of my life. I dropped out of school to work with my father, who was a fisherman. I was destined to become a fisherman too, like all of our family, but with fishing business scaling up so much we left the business to my oldest brother. I became a plasterer. There are no other plasterers on the island and I saw the business opportunity because bringing workmen in from the mainland is so expensive. Later I became a bicycle repair man too, after tourism started to blossom around here. When I grew up we didn’t have a car, we did everything by bike. You don’t need much more here on the island. What can I say more? I’m a Metallica fan. I’m the youngest in a family of eight. Is that enough?
WHY?
Six years ago my wife left me for a top accountant from BearingPoint in Copenhagen. I don’t blame her, life can be hard here, but it left me in a deep depression. My therapist advised me to find a hobby that would get me out of the house. I had an old Minolta lying around that I had bought second hand for my wife’s 22nd birthday. So I thought photography might be interesting to try. I still mostly shoot analog, though getting film sent is a hassle, and I also have a digital Canon Ixus now. Yes I develop myself of course here.
WHEN?
Mostly when not working. I go for walks after work and on weekends. And sometimes during my lunch break. Sometimes when I have to deliver a bike, I also take my camera with me. I shoot what’s there.
WHERE?
Mostly in and around my hometown on the island. But also when I visit my relatives in Germany and Holland I take my camera with me. I don’t really go on holidays or long trips, because my neighbour doesn’t want to look after my 14 marsvins (that’s shiny guinea pigs in English) for longer than a week. I forgot to mention that keeping marsvins as another hobby of mine.
WHAT?
I like different colours and moods a lot. Usually they represent the state I’m in on that particular day. But for me it becomes really interesting when the work is part of a diptych. I like to compare that process to the workings of a bicycle: a bicycle also consists of two main (almost identical) parts, the wheels. But it is not symmetrical. It needs all the other loose parts to make it function properly. They need each other. Haha, only now when I tell it like this, I see what an odd philosophy this is. But I can’t explain it more, just look at it.
