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)
