Harold Gee
by Kevin Freitas
I spent a few hours the other day with Jay Johnson, a sculptor and respected artist here in San Diego, reminiscing about his humble beginnings, the Pawn Shop Gallery, the punk scene, and the myraid of friends and encounters Johnson made in the early 80's downtown - one of which was Harold Gee.
photo: Harold Gee
Johnson who was on the verge of ending his Californian surf and ceramic-clay throwing days and looking for a change, found himself downtown on occaison just as the seedy underground life of peep shows, dive bars, clubs, and winos were about to experience a new wave of artistic and musical punk rock birthing, unlike anything San Diego has seen since. Johnson met Harold Gee in one of these start-up clubs, called the Skeleton Club, its short-lived existence (until the city apparently shut it down) was began by Laura Frazier and Tim Mayes of now Casbah fame.
"Xterminators, Fall 1979" (at the original Skeleton Club located in the basement of the Keating Building - photo: Harold Gee