Paul went to Berlin’s Universität der Künste to do a design/communication degree that he then followed by an MA in photography at Central Saint Martins, but his education did not end there; spending a year studying in Spain during his bachelors was the tipping point in his photographic career. “This is, mainly, where I started to discover photography more seriously, spending time in the darkroom while my mates went to the beach.” Despite his fruitful education, Paul believes that the courses one has graduated from are not the main learning curves that bring success, stating that for him it is “just a fraction of things” while, for establishing an understanding of his own work, and of the work of others, “ conversations with people I have met equally within and outside of academic institutions” were a great deal more pivotal.
When asked how he got to become a photographer, Paul simply admits that he doesn’t really know. He approaches photography as a way to “make sense of the place that [he’s] in” and distances himself from professional photographers, admitting that they would probably “restrain from calling me their equal”.
Upon asking Hutchinson how he feels about his return to Berlin, he tells me “I just moved back to my hometown, really” — he doesn’t associate himself with the new wave of young creatives emerging in the city, although he agrees that it “would have been interesting” to be a part of that experience. On the plus side, moving back to Berlin rather than staying in London was “definitely different work-wise” due to the affordable studio prices. Having a studio “in London would have been impossible.”