Name: Peter Gumpesberger
Age: 46
Occupation: Photographer (sample of his work below)
After inventing QuickSand, the self-cleaning cat litter box — yes, the very contraption television personality Dini Petty endorsed 10 years ago that sold through the roof across North America — Peter Gumpesberger has embarked on a more challenging re-invention, himself.
Canada’s one-time inventor of-the-year and former tool and dye maker has morphed into a visual artist, one that specializes in landscape photography.
“Mad inventor, mad composer, insomniac — I’m all of the above,” confesses Gumpesberger, who is also a designer, songwriter, flamenco guitarist and writer.
Contrasting that manic description, though, is a mild-mannered man, dressed not in cliché black, but rather a plain T-shirt quietly chatting about his natural knack for spotting a picturesque shot.
“I’ve always had an instinctive eye for framing a shot, spotting colours and capturing good lighting,” shares the 46-year-old, who is a self-taught lens man — save for a couple of books, evening courses, and tips inherited from his late father who was also an avid nature photographer.
Though his works appear to be digitally manipulated, they aren’t. His sweeping landscapes, characterized by a surreal, serene quality are shot the old fashioned way — on film. Eye-catching to say the least, they have garnered comparisons to, and praise from, renowned photographer Edward Burtynsky.
Featured in his collection are 26 pieces, a popular one of which is a stunning blue sky and water image illuminated with white, sunlit clouds.
A field with sheep milling about has also caught many an admiring eye. “Very Brokeback Mountain,” I say, but “I shot it way before the movie came out,” rebuts Gumpesberger.
Two other works, one featuring a solitary man walking through a cascading sea of golden sand and another with a lone leaf floating in still water, might very well capture the spirit of the photographer himself — a lonely soul appreciative of the beauty of life having endured the loss of his partner 10 years ago.
It was a bittersweet chapter in Gumpesberger’s evolution for just as a lucrative U.S. contract for QuickSand came through the door, his partner’s life slipped away to AIDS.
Re-charged, Gumpesberger is eyeing the future with passion and plans to tackle high-end commercial and fashion photography.
Gumpesberger’s exhibition takes place from Oct. 12 to 14 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Tip Top Lofts, Suite 618, 637 Lakeshore Blvd. W. The works are priced from $1400 to $2500 (less for non-framed prints).
Admission is free, but patrons are asked to RSVP in advance via e-mail to peter@gumpesberger.comas space is limited. A more expansive view of his works can be found at www.gumpesberger.com.
