Luke Smalley
Gymnasium
twin palms publishers
march 2001
8 x 10 inches
85 duotone plates
96 pages
The teenage athletes in Luke Smalley's pictures seem inhabitants of some time or place other than the northwestern Pennsylvania towns where the photographer recently found and photographed them. The sensuality of these young athletes seems familiar, their gaze immediate and direct, yet their otherworldly quality remains a product of the artist's unique vision. No telephone or television seems possible in this not-quite-familiar landscape. For the past ten years the photographer has painstakingly coordinated the creation of these works, often making his own athletic equipment, props, and costumes.
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