_RIP Luke Smalley

_Luke Smalley, the art photographer famous for his playful images that explored the intersections between fashion and masculinity, died unexpectedly last Sunday at the age of 53. Smalley’s work cultivated an aura of lighthearted manliness by lifting from an array of masculine ideals — 20th-century fitness manuals, vintage school portraits, antique exercise equipment. Although Smalley was not a household name, he was revered among leading men’s-wear image makers, most notably his frequent collaborator and friend, the designer Kim Jones. (In 2004, Smalley teamed up with Jones on a book chronicling American youth culture). Smalley’s work appeared in progressive men’s fashion publications such as Dazed & Confused, V Magazine, Vogue Hommes International, Another Man and Arena Homme Plus. His two books, “Exercise at Home” and “Gymnasium,” were showcases for his tongue-in-cheek take on adolescence. (A final book on his work, “Sunday Drive,” will come out later this year.) While certainly homoerotic, Smalley’s images were never perverse. Instead, through the imaginative use of props, costumes and staging, Smalley helped bridge the gap between whimsy, sensuality and machismo — a viewpoint men all too seldom see reflected in popular culture.