Peter Frank

Like no other city in the world, Los Angeles encourages the observer to play with illusions -- and to be played with in turn. At every street corner one wonders if they are still in ordinary life, have stepped onto a movie set, or have entered a heat-induced mirage. Wandering as far afield as Nevada and Mexico, Los Angeles-based Italian photographer Gianluca Galtrucco discovers comedic and dramatic images throughout L.A. and its region that blur the boundary between reality and artifice. Indeed, it is not clear in which of his pictures Galtrucco has created dream tableaux and in which he has simply carried existing situations to extremes. Sometimes the titles provide the key; other times they only enhance the disorientation. Many of the words and names allude to the world of cinema, underscoring how thoroughly Los Angeles has been shaped by its best known industry -- and how much movies shape our view of the city in turn. As much showman as lensman, Galtrucco urges us to suspend disbelief and to trust his imagery. That way, everything can fall into place.

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