Naked Gymnastics
John de Lombardo

The human form is a subject that contains infinite variable. Nobody knows that better then John de Lombardo whose subjects twist with symmetry and intimate elegance. In the introduction to Naked Gymnastics one writer refers to this as ‘pretzel logic’, a term that causes a little smirk to grace my lips whenever spoken out loud. But I learned something new when looking through Naked Gymnastics. Apparently the Greek word “gymnos” literally translates as “naked art”.

I’ll have to remember that the next time I’m watching the Olympics. It makes sense then to feel a sense of allure and fascination when viewing the images of John de Lombardo. His subjects are meant to entice the viewer in their contorted poses. There is a reason why big-top circus performers once drew crowds of hundreds of spectators. It wasn’t the thrill of danger, but instead the spectacle and the taboo of seeing the human body manipulated to its physical limits. Naked Gymnastics holds that same sense of awe and wonder.


Hardcover: 128 Pages
Publisher: Edition Reuss
Language: Multilanguage
ISBN: 3934020372