Robert mapplethorpe

The photographer, Robert Mapplethorpe, 1946-1989, American, died of AIDS-related illness. Self-Portrait, 1988, platinum-palladium print. Solomon R. Guggenheim, NY. The artist…

Orchid, 1985

Robert Mapplethorpe. Phillip. 1979. Gelatin silver print. 14 × 14" (35.6 × 35.6 cm). The Family of Man Fund. 66.2016. © 2024 Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation. Photography

This image depicts two figures wrapped in white, blanched gauze, their heads bound together into a cocoon like, sculptural form. Like many of Mapplethorpe’s photographs a careful balance is created here between bondage and freedom, ecstasy and pain. Mapplethorpe took reference from Auguste Rodin’s expressive and erotic late 19th and early 20th century sculptures throughout his career and this influence can be seen in the sensual movement and energy of this photograph.

The American photographer’s work altered perceptions and pushed boundaries in relation to the male gaze upon the male body

Anton Perich’s photographs of Max’s Kansas City remember a time when Debbie Harry was a waitress and William S. Burroughs, Robert Mapplethorpe, and Andy Warhol were regulars

A new limited-edition book by photographer Lloyd Ziff documents the first ever shoot Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe did together, back when they were young lovers and aspiring artists navigating the heady days of Sixties New York.