Here, Mapplethorpe used men as raw materials, fixing on his favorite bits of geometry, framing their bodies into abstraction, and in doing so captured an unsettling, exoticizing dynamic between himself and his models. He was a sought-after portraitist, shooting celebrities of all stripes, and in his studio practice pursued his obsession with formal perfection with his studies of flowers and nude figures. Nov 24, 2014 - Explore Paul Bray's board "Maplethorpe" on Pinterest. He worked without apology, investing the homosexual with grandeur, masculinity, and enviable nobility. Here, the intensity of his subject matter was transmuted through careful staging and lighting into deliberate, fantastical stillness.On the tamer side, images like Leather Crotch were subtly subversive, presenting an aestheticized image of male sexuality that would eventually work its way into the visual language of the mainstream.Crotch shots echoing Leather Crotch showed up in fashion campaigns throughout the 1990s and 2000s—see Gucci campaigns shot by Mario Testino and Terry Richardson during the Tom Ford years—and there is no surer sign of pop cultural subsumption than being referenced in advertisements.His influence continues to be felt in both commercial and art photography.
Mapplethorpe consciously composes the images to emphasise their structure and geometry. The most famous of these was Edie SedgwickFrancesca Woodman’s photographs of the human body also present the identity of the sitter as unclearHis subjects were from a wide range of social and cultural contexts: from royalty and aristocracy to rent boys. Some people were outraged, while others saw them as truthful explorations of the human body, sexuality and desire.Photography refers to the process or practice of creating a photograph – an image produced by the action of light …Explore the importance of the development of 'Cultural Identity' to the artists within ARTIST ROOMSBalance and harmony are key to Mapplethorpe’s photographs. Mapplethorpe’s artistic interests stretched beyond sex, and he accomplished a great deal with other subjects, as well.
Without affectation, he created a presence that was wholly male without sacrificing feminine grace.
He photographed a who’s who of New York’s avant-garde from Andy Warhol to Kathy Acker, prominent artists like Louise Bourgeois and Alice Neel, musicians, art dealers, and ordinary citizens who could afford his substantial rates.Mapplethorpe began actively exploring his homosexuality in the early 1970s and threw himself headlong into New York City’s gay S&M culture. But whoever he photographed, all the images are characterised by Mapplethorpe’s style – his relentless pursuit of beauty with no imperfections.What role do you think the muse plays in an artist’s work?Reaction to these images was divided. They never do what you want them to do.’While images of the body are associated with ideals of beauty, the portrait is often associated with identity and individuality.Self-portraits are perhaps the most complex type of portrait because the artist and sitter are the same person, and the image has a personal, diary-like feel. How many films and novels introduce an interesting premise but fail to deliver a satisfying conclusion? I’m looking for things I’ve never seen before … I was in a position to take those pictures. By contrast, many of Mapplethorpe’s photographs of black men have more in common with his floral still lifes. Robert Mapplethorpe poses by a self-portrait at the ICA in London, 1983.