Robert Mapplethorpe

Photography Appreciation

Born on November 4, 1946, Robert Mapplethorpe was an American photographer known for his black and white photography of celebrity portraits, male and female nudes, still-life images of flowers, and self portraits.

One of Mapplethorpe's photography series spurred controversy. The Perfect Moment, a traveling exhibition funded by the National Endowment for the Arts--public funds--featured many sexually explicit images.

Mapplethorpe established the Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation, which not only secures his work, but promotes his creative vision and funds HIV/AIDS research. He passed away due to complications from HIV/AIDS on March 9, 1989.

You can see more of his beautiful work HERE.

Self Portrait via ehehr1955

Anemone (1989) via queerhistory

Derrick Cross (1983) via nytimes.com

Sources:

http://www.mapplethorpe.org/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Mapplethorpe
https://www.guggenheim.org/artwork/artist/robert-mapplethorpe
https://www.artsy.net/artist/robert-mapplethorpe
https://www.guggenheim.org/artwork/artist/robert-mapplethorpe
https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/1989/02/robert-mapplethorpe-aids-dominick-dunne
https://ehehr1955.wordpress.com/2011/02/02/robert-mapplethorpe-photography/
http://the1709blog.blogspot.com/2016/04/self-portraits-of-robert-mapplethorpe.html
http://thegibsondiaries.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-work-of-robert-mapplethorpe.html
http://blog.gallart.com/2015/11/04/remembering-robert-mapplethorpe-born-this-day-in-1946/
https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/1989/02/robert-mapplethorpe-aids-dominick-dunne
http://queerhistory.blogspot.com/2010/11/robert-mapplethorpe-photographer.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/01/arts/design/why-mapplethorpe-still-matters.html