By Nika Madyoon
George Steinmetz â75 soars over natural wonders, turning sand dunes into abstract swirls and elephants into miniscule figurines.
With the push of a button, he converts vast landscapes into structured mazes for the world to explore.
Steinmetz is no giant of great proportions nor is he a magician. He is a flying inventor-photographer.
By 2008, Steinmetz had spent 26 years photographing 22 African countries, all with the help of a “flying machine” that he invented. He uses the machine to paraglide above anything from intriguing scenery to everyday African life.
His book, “African Life,” contains his photographs, some of which have been printed in National Geographic magazine.
A collection of 38 of Steinmetzâs photos will be displayed in Feldman-Horn Gallery May 1-29 in an exhibit called “Wild Air: The Photographs of George Steinmetz â75”.
Steinmetz will be at the exhibit Sunday from 2 to 5 p.m.
Art teachers Allan Sasaki and Kevin OâMalley curated the show, using pictures that Steinmetz sent digitally. Sasaki and OâMalley spent a great deal of time printing and mounting the 16 by 24 inch and 20 by 30 inch pieces, which will be for sale from $3,000 to $6,000. Some of the proceeds will go to the Alumni Scholar Endowment Fund.
“[Steinmetz] is a great role model for students because he shows how you can take your passion for something and turn it into an amazing career,” Upper School Visual Arts Department Head Cheri Gaulke said.
