Mapplethorpe

Against the backdrop of current major retrospectives of Robert Mapplethorpe’s work at LACMA and the Getty Museum, Mapplethorpe: Look at the pictures traces the life of the controversial artist. His exquisite portraits, still-lives and homoerotic scenes defined art photography in the 80s and gave a visibility to gay culture. From his middle-class small town upbringing to the Chelsea Hotel with Patti Smith, to his success in 80s New York artworld and his death in 1989 from Aids-related illness, Mapplethorpe follows both the pictures and the development of the man. Enriched with interviews from a wide range of curators, celebrities, models, lovers and family, the major voice is Mapplethorpe’s own through a series of archival audio.