Nude men in rubber suits, close-ups of erections, objects shoved in the most intimate of places—these are photographs taken by Robert Mapplethorpe, known by many as the most controversial photographer of the twentieth century. Openly gay, Mapplethorpe took images of male sex, nudity, and fetish to extremes that resulted in his work still being labelled by some as pornography masquerading as art. But less talked about are the more serene, yet striking portraits of flowers, sculptures, and perfectly framed human forms that are equally pioneering and powerful.
Robert Mapplethorpe
Self (archive footage)
Fran Lebowitz
Self
Debbie Harry
Self
Brooke Shields
Self
Carolina Herrera
Self
Paul Martineau
Self
Bob Colacello
Self
Patti Smith
Self (voice) (uncredited)
Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures is a documentary film released in 2016 exploring themes of lgbt, portrait of an artist, gay theme. Directed by Fenton Bailey, it stars Robert Mapplethorpe, Fran Lebowitz, Debbie Harry. Nude men in rubber suits, close-ups of erections, objects shoved in the most intimate of places—these are photographs taken by Robert Mapplethorpe, known by many as the most controversial photographer of the twentieth century. Openly gay, Mapplethorpe took images of male sex, nudity, and fetish to extremes that resulted in his work still being labelled by some as pornography masquerading as art. But less talked about are the more serene, yet striking portraits of flowers, sculptures, and perfectly framed human forms that are equally pioneering and powerful.
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