Gymnasium

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 other worldly 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 the work presented here, often making his own athletic equipment, props,and costumes. The images are published here for the first time.