The Olympic Portraits You Weren't Meant to See

Pictured: Alexander Massialas of the US Olympic Fencing team poses for pictures during a photo session during the 2012 Team USA Media Summit on May 13, 2012 in Dallas,Texas. (Joe Klamar/AFP/Getty)

Joe Klamar is a celebrated photographer for the Agence France-Presse. But when he shot Olympic athletes at a Dallas, Texas, hotel during the U.S. Olympic Committee's Media Summit this May, his shots weren't received so well.

In fact, many of the photographs received harsh criticism from news sites and photo blogs for their apparent defects--"citing the off-hand poses, the stressed lighting, the scarred backdrops," as press materials explain--and seemed to be critical of the American Olympic athletic team, including Michael Phelps, Alex Meyer, and Jonathan Horton.

It highlights the fact that these athletes, treated like celebrities, are often manufactured through the ways in which they are photographed and presented to the public. "You will not see world-class athletes like this anywhere," the exhibit promises. The Powerhouse Arena will present these images to a U.S. audience beginning July 27, and we have a selection here to get you in the mood for the sports that begin tomorrow.

July 27-September 4 at the POWERHOUSE Arena, 37 Main Street, Brooklyn, NY

Click through for a selection of photographs that are on view.

Michael Phelps of the US Olympic Swimming team poses for pictures during a photo session during the 2012 Team USA Media Summit on May 13, 2012 in Dallas,Texas. (Joe Klamar/AFP/Getty)

Alex Meyer of the US Olympic Swimming team poses for pictures during a photo session during the 2012 Team USA Media Summit on May 13, 2012 in Dallas,Texas. (Joe Klamar/AFP/Getty)

Heptathlonist Hyleas Fountain of the US Track and Field Olympic team poses for pictures during a photo session during the 2012 Team USA Media Summit on May 13, 2012 in Dallas,Texas. (Joe Klamar/AFP/Getty)

Jonathan Horton of the US Olympic Gymnastics team poses for pictures during a photo session during the 2012 Team USA Media Summit on May 13, 2012 in Dallas,Texas. (Joe Klamar/AFP/Getty)

Errol Spence of the US Olympic Boxing team poses for pictures during a photo session during the 2012 Team USA Media Summit on May 13, 2012 in Dallas,Texas. (Joe Klamar/AFP/Getty)

Julie Zetlin of the US Olympic Gymnastics team poses for pictures during a photo session during the 2012 Team USA Media Summit on May 13, 2012 in Dallas,Texas. (Joe Klamar/AFP/Getty)

Phil Dalhausser of the US Olympic Volleyball team poses for pictures during a photo session during the 2012 Team USA Media Summit on May 13, 2012 in Dallas,Texas. (Joe Klamar/AFP/Getty)