Mobile Photography & Art – ‘Intimate Interview’ with Jean Hutter from New Jersey, United States
Our thirty eighth interview in this new series of intimate interviews enables talented mobile photographer and artist, Jean Hutter from New Jersey, United States to narrate an utterly transporting interview complete with ingenious and magical imargery. Enjoy.
To read the other published interviews in this series including artists, Adria Ellis, Rino Rossi, Mehmet Duyulmus, Alexis Rotella, Lou Ann Sanford Donahue, Irene Oleksiuk, Kerry Mitchell, Filiz Ak, Dale Botha, Lisa Mitchell, M. Cecilia Sao Thiago, Deborah McMillion, Rita Colantonio, Amy Ecenbarger, Jane Schultz, Anca Balaj, Joyce Harkin, Armineh Hovanesian, Kate Zari Roberts, Vicki Cooper, Peter Wilkin, Barbara Braman, Becky Menzies, Sukru Mehmet Omur, Sarah Bichachi, Michel Pretterklieber, Alon Goldsmith, Judy Lurie Whalberg, Andrea Bigiarni, Sean Hayes, Oola Cristina, Kathleen Magner-Rios, Linda Toki, Deb Fiel, Emilo Nadales, Lydia Cassatt, David Hayes and myself, go here.
All images ©Jean Hutter
What was your childhood or earliest ambition?
I really don’t remember having a strong desire as to what I wanted to do/be. I think family and financial situations had a lot to do with it. I do know I was always interested in arts and crafts. I loved creating things and doing work with my hands.
First Recognition?
This is also something I don’t recall – there is nothing that stands out as being a recognition for me when I was younger.
First Job?
I worked during high school, at the school selling school supplies. My first real job was working for the A&P in their office. This was where I first became interested in computers and what was to be my career in data processing.
Private or State School?
I went to a Catholic grade and high school.
University or Work?
I went straight to work out of high school although I have taken many courses since then.
Who was or is still your mentor?
I never really had a mentor but have and still do admire many artist’s work. I had many great art instructors when I was actually painting. Once I made the move to digital work I have to credit Sebastian Michaels for helping take my work to the next level and beyond. He, as well as you Joanne Carter, have put so many of us artists on the map. Now that I have become interested in photography I must say I am loving Kim Klassen’s work. I have taken a few of her on line classes and will be taking a new one in a few weeks. I only aspire to take a photo half as good as her’s.
How physically fit are you?
Although I was never one for sports I am pretty fit. I walk 2-3 miles every day. Swim 3 times a week (we have and indoor and outdoor pool where I live) and do yoga twice a week.
Ambition or talent: What matters more to success?
This is a tough question for me. I think ambition is so important but you need the talent to back it up. For me personally I love to make art – marketing not so much. I always wonder if I would be more successful if I did spend more time on marketing.
How politically committed are you?
Probably not as much as I should be. I never discuss my political view with anyone.
What would you like to own that you don’t currently possess?
At this point in my life I am all about simplifying and downsizing. I wanted a nice camera which I recently purchased, so maybe a new lens.
What’s your biggest extravagance?
Well when I used to actually paint it was art supplies. Now I do digital art or take photos so I guess it would be trying out new apps and equipment (Nikon D750 camera, new iPhone, iPad, Apple pencil, etc.).
In what places are you happiest?
Home in my office creating or out looking at the ocean. I am lucky to live at the shore.
What ambitions do you still have?
I always want to learn something new. I am taking a photography class next month and I can’t wait. I create digital art and have used photoshop and apps for a long time. In January of this year I got the photography bug. I wanted to take still life photos. I took a still life class, got a new Nikon camera and I was off. I want to really learn how to use the camera and I want to take great photos.
What drives you on?
I think it is important to constantly move forward and grow.
What is the greatest achievement of your life so far?
Hmmmm probably living this long! I don’t have any children or have not received any great recognition so maybe my greatest achievement is yet to come. A number of years back I did a group show with my abstract paintings in NYC. Someone from the art department at HBO saw the show and called me about using some of my paintings on the HBO series The Sopranos. That was pretty exciting.
What do you find most irritating in other people?
Their sense of entitlement and their total disregard for anyone but themselves. Of course everyone is not like that but the ones that are really annoy me.
If your 20 year old self could see you now, what would he think?
You made it out of that little town in PA and you are happy.
What object that you you’ve lost do you wish you still had?
When I owned my former house I still painted and I had a large studio built on the back. It was big, beautiful and filled with light – I sure do miss it.
What is the greatest challenge of our time?
Peace and being kind to each other.
Do you believe in an afterlife?
Oh this is great question for me. Sometimes yes and other times I just don’t know. I am very mystical, read and collect Tarot cards and have been know to delve into the occult. I have done past life Tarot readings and readings about relatives who have passed. I must say they are very revealing and quite accurate. I want to believe that this is not all there is.
If you had to rate your satisfaction with your life so far, out of 10, what would you score?
If you had to rate your satisfaction with your life so far, out of 10, what would you score?
I would say probably 8 or so. Nothing is ever perfect is it!!!!
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Joanne Carter
Joanne Carter, creator of the world’s most popular mobile photography and art website— TheAppWhisperer.com— TheAppWhisperer platform has been a pivotal cyberspace for mobile artists of all abilities to learn about, to explore, to celebrate and to share mobile artworks. Joanne’s compassion, inclusivity, and humility are hallmarks in all that she does, and is particularly evident in the platform she has built. In her words, “We all have the potential to remove ourselves from the centre of any circle and to expand a sphere of compassion outward; to include everyone interested in mobile art, ensuring every artist is within reach”, she has said. Promotion of mobile artists and the art form as a primary medium in today’s art world, has become her life’s focus. She has presented lectures bolstering mobile artists and their art from as far away as the Museum of Art in Seoul, South Korea to closer to her home in the UK at Focus on Imaging. Her experience as a jurist for mobile art competitions includes: Portugal, Canada, US, S Korea, UK and Italy. And her travels pioneering the breadth of mobile art includes key events in: Frankfurt, Naples, Amalfi Coast, Paris, Brazil, London. Pioneering the world’s first mobile art online gallery - TheAppWhispererPrintSales.com has extended her reach even further, shipping from London, UK to clients in the US, Europe and The Far East to a global group of collectors looking for exclusive art to hang in their homes and offices. The online gallery specialises in prints for discerning collectors of unique, previously unseen signed limited edition art. Her journey towards becoming The App Whisperer, includes (but is not limited to) working for a paparazzi photo agency for several years and as a deputy editor for a photo print magazine. Her own freelance photographic journalistic work is also widely acclaimed. She has been published extensively both within the UK and the US in national and international titles. These include The Times, The Sunday Times, The Guardian, Popular Photography & Imaging, dpreview, NikonPro, Which? and more recently with the BBC as a Contributor, Columnist at Vogue Italia and Contributing Editor at LensCulture. Her professional photography has also been widely exhibited throughout Europe, including Italy, Portugal and the UK. She is currently writing several books, all related to mobile art and is always open to requests for new commissions for either writing or photography projects or a combination of both. Please contact her at: [email protected]
