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Grady Harp wrote on 03/23/2010:

Domenico Cennamo began his career in the arts as a painter, which helps to explain his sense of composition, contrasts of light and dark, and narrative elements in his now second chosen manifestation of the arts - Photography. His credentials as a fashion photographer are evident in some of the more important fashion magazines throughout the world. But perhaps it is the marriage of his love for the figure and his sense of pushing the boundaries of his artistry that have lead him to this beautifully conceptualized, elegantly designed monograph BEFORE THE GAME. His desire was to capture the spontaneity of masculine athleticism in a fresh approach, and to that end he decided against professional models, electing to photograph his exploration of masculinity as ordinary young men prepare for and complete in games.

The book (in the usual high quality of Bruno Gmünder Verlag publications) is divided into three sections. The first and longest section Per Gioco was 'shot in an old boxing hall in the Roman suburbs during training sessions, in the changing room, under the showers, and in the lockers.' The photographs are a combination of rich color, sepia toned and black and white. The images appear spontaneous, as though the presence of the photographer is either ignored or dismissed by the men at workout. Where the healthy muscular lads pay attention to the camera, Cennamo elects to place them in settings where washes of color (hot reds) on the walls are broken by horizontal lines that appear to be hand rails and manage to divide the finished image into one of fine geometric precision as a backdrop to the sensual appreciation of skin surface and tones. The subjects are a seemly lot who seem completely at ease with the photography project and the result is a view of athletes at work and at rest whose innocence in the project makes them that much more striking. The second section of the book is titled Privato and represents time spent in a shared house where all of the men are at ease, enjoying the moment when youth and energy and sensuality combine in a magical way. The last section of the book is called Canoa and is a view of the activities of a Kayak club at Castel Grandolfo lake outside of Rome. Here the very naturally perfect men prepare for racing, participate in kayaking on the water, and celebrate their activities at the end of a strenuous session. The photography here very successfully marries the outdoors with the beauty of the male forms, allowing the artist to create picture stories that once again are textured with spontaneity.

BEFORE THE GAME then is a celebration of the games and the men of Rome and other sections of Italy that have been a tradition for centuries. And just as the art from Italy reflects the robust and sensual beauty of that country, so do these excellent examples of photographic art enter the arena of some of the finest figurative art before the public today.