George Phillips

Professor

“A good teacher is a catalyst; one who turns on the flame.”

The summer before last George Phillips, his son and two sisters traveled through Romania on “a back to our roots kind of thing.” His father came from Romania by way of Ellis Island and George’s return there he describes as “a desolate and moving experience. Our hearts went out to the people,” he says.

George, who is not above quoting a little Confucius, was a travel photographer in the Caribbean “back before they had any Hiltons.” His career in fine arts and commercial photography has seen him teaching in school systems throughout the country. At SMC since 1980, this pragmatic visionary brings a world of insight to the practice of his art.

Recently, George and three fellow Santa Monica College photo instructors traveled to Lithuania on a friendship mission. “We are educators after all. And we seem to extend beyond boundaries, nationalities and governments.”

“Design and taste are most important in photography,” says George. “But the fine art and commercial aspect go hand in hand. What I’ve learned in the commercial field, I use constantly in my fine arts work. So I don’t see much difference,” he continues. “Commercial photography is just ‘art on demand.’”

Creative risk is a given in any George Phillips classroom. “Go a little beyond what you can do,” he counsels, “and you’ll find how much more you’re capable of.”

Back