Portrait Research-Robert Mapplethorpe

Robert Mapplethorpe (November 4, 1946 New York City;– March 9, 1989 Boston, Massachusetts) was an American photographer, known for his large-scale, highly stylized black and white photography. His work featured an array of subjects, including celebrity portraits, male and female nudes, and stills of flowers. His most controversial work is that of the underground BDSM scene in the late 1960s and early 1970s of New York. The homoeroticism of this work fuelled a national debate over the public funding of controversial artworks.

 

The above 2 photos i have choosen are the best example i can use for what i think he seams to focus his work around. To me he seams to be fascinated with the human body, its form how it moves and the curves we make. Alot of his photos seam to be sexually orianted but i think this is more about the shape of our bodys than any other reason. I do like his work as i feel like i can understand what he is trying to acheive more so than the others i have researched.

He has also done pictures of celebraties but i have noticed they are all dressed where most of his photos they are mostly naked or in somesex outfit. But i do think the set up suits the sitter. I do like the way the light seams to wash his face out and lines of the shadows over his clothes.