Athlete/Warrior

In Athlete/Warrior, photographers Anderson & Low present photographs of young men and women who are training for both the sports field and the battlefield while studying at America's three famed armed forces the US Military Academy, West Point, in New York State, the US Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland, and the US Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, Colorado. Arresting juxtapositions of cadets in their military dress - from formal to fatigues - and in the uniforms of their chosen sports, including swimming, boxing, football, gymnastics, and basketball, among others, reveal subtle similarities and differences between the roles assumed by such disciplined and dedicated individuals. The resonant images in Athlete/Warrior go beyond the military and sporting uniforms to highlight both the humanity of the individuals portrayed and the noble aspirations that they embody. These themes are expanded upon in thoughtful texts by Anderson & Low, who outline the origins of the project and reflect on their work, and by the writer and poet Steve Anderson, giving further significance to the images in this book.