University Art Gallery

[to his dead friend]
Juba: I will see you again… but not yet… not yet…
Gladiator
UCSD. I came here to study computers. It was during my sophomore slump at UCSD I took my first class with Phel Steinmetz. Up to that point I was not really inspired… Rather just surviving the constant midterms and finals. Perhaps a college photography class would inspire me. It was what I needed. The class field trips. The long nights and weekends printing photos. The breaks to get tacos or more photo paper at Nelson Photo. The weekly presentations in front of the class for critiques. The drives up to Calumet in Los Angeles to buy exotic photo equipment unavailable in San Diego. The inspiration seeing other peoples’ works who were better than your own to motivate you. It was the golden age…
I was impressed Phel told us he learned photography from Ansel Adams and they had been drinking buddies. Seeing his work in this gallery during a faculty art show I could see similarities. The stark beauty and perfection of their black and white prints was awe inspiring. I took as many photo classes I could with Phel and when those were exhausted I did independent study with him but my works paled in comparison. After years of study I could duplicate his use of the Zone System but I lacked the creative genius to transform the everyday world around me into museum quality artworks.
We started out as teacher — student but in time I think we became friends. After I graduated he still helped me with my photography and I helped him with his computer. Over the years he photographed portraits of my family and I was given an original print of Monument Valley which hangs in my room.
I miss our lunch time discussions on photography, computers, and life in general my friend.
Professor Emeritus Phel Steinmetz who served on the full-​time faculty from 1971 to 2011, died on October 30, 2013 at 69 from natural causes.
Review #500

The University Art gallery is located in the middle of UCSD’s campus. I know because I skateboarded by it many times.
The space is small, but the interior is as chic as any La Jolla gallery. The gallery features hardwood floor and it often times has exciting exhibits from up and coming artists. A lot of faculty and graduate students have their art work on display here, but artists don’t have to be associated with the university to be featured at the gallery.
The staff is friendly and the gallery has a lot of exhibit openings with free food and drinks and the receptions are always to the public.
For a gallery, the University Art Gallery has a pretty relaxed atmosphere, but a lot of pretentious UCSD art students hang out here, but hell even they have to dig scoring the free food and drinks at the openings.