We introduced a lot of new students this fall semester at SFUAD, and a handful of new professors. One of those new professors is Andy Mattern, or just Andy for short. Andy is an adjunct professor in the Photography Department teaching the intermediate digital photography class Monday through Thursday nights in the Marion Center.  At first, Andy seems to be a quiet individual. Before every class he casually sits in the classroom, legs crossed, shirt tucked, waiting with stoic anticipation for students to arrive.  But when the clock ticks to 6:30 p.m., Andy ignites into a high-energy educating force, laying down plans and information faster than Busta Rhymes can articulate a sonnet. Born and raised in Albuquerque, Andy frequently went to Wisconsin through out his childhood to visit family.  He received his BFA in Art Studio at UNM Albuquerque, concentrating in visual arts. After graduating, he meandered out to Southern California with guitar in hand to pursue music. After a couple of years playing in coffee shops and recording/producing for other musicians, Andy packed up and moved to Austin, Texas. Live music capital of the world! Once arriving to Austin, Andy quickly decided to never play music in front of people again, bought a camera on eBay, and started making art again. For six years he created visual art for galleries and owned an architectural photography company. In 2009, he applied to grad school and, in “what seemed like a lark,” received a fellowship to the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. After three years, Andy graduated with an MFA and two books, Driven Snow and Everyone I Never Knew. Since then Andy has moved back to Albuquerque where he teaches at both UNM and SFUAD. When asked how to justify art, Andy’s answers range from aesthetic...