Project statement:

The Island documents life on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The long and narrow string of barrier islands for many is a vacation destination. For me, it is much more. It is a place where I fell in love, married and now I’m trying to discover the peculiar qualities that have me so intrigued by this little island. The Island is my connection to a place that like the tide has its highs and lows.

The Outer Banks is undergoing changes from both human forces and mother nature. Over the years the dunes protecting the island have eroded from the hands of over-development and by the force of the ocean. Today, residents of the island are undergoing a heated debate about re-nourishing those dunes and protecting the island from the unforgiving waves of the Atlantic or letting mother nature take her course and the ocean taking what was once hers. No matter the outcome of this heated debate this project serves as an important documentation as the sands of time change and shift the shape of the island.

Only time will tell if anything is left of a place I once called and still consider my home away from home. I can only hope the island is around for generations to come, but even if it is not, this project will be a testament of what once stood at the mercy of the Atlantic Ocean.

Bio and contact:

Tim Gruber is a photographer based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He received a BFA in advertising from Saint Cloud State University and a MA in visual communications from Ohio University. His work explores his fascination with people and the places he calls home. Most recently his work explores an island off the coast North Carolina and his home state of Minnesota. In both projects he explores his relationship to the community and environment just beyond his front door.

Tim Gruber is a Minneapolis, MN, based photographer.
To view more of his work, please visit his website: timgruber.com
You can also contact Tim Gruber by e-mail: timg@timgruber.com