To have something that’s beautiful somehow gives me a feeling that approaches immortality. It’s very similar to the act of creating. So Robert Mapplethorpe (1946-1989) is quoted saying for a magazine article in 1978. 

By that time, the artist had established himself as a photographer, having had his first solo show, at New York’s Light Gallery in 1973. His work was shown at Documenta 6/Kassel in 1977, then became represented by Robert Miller Gallery. In addition Mapplethorpe took commercial assignments that ranged from features for magazines such as Interview and Vogue to celebrity portraiture. He was established in his career in photography and had formed a life partnership with curator Sam Wagstaff, who also served as a patron and mentor. At the same time, his obsession with New York’s gay S&M underground shaped an entirely separate career in photography, which culminated in what came to be known as the “X Portfolio,” then sparked controversy in the U.S. Senate soon after Mapplethorpe died of complications from HIV/AIDS. Above: Robert Mapplethorpe (American, 1946–89). Untitled (London), 1973, Polaroid print. Gift of The Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation to the J. Paul Getty Trust and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art

The last show he participated in was called The Perfect Moment, and presented images from the three areas of his practice: cool, formal portraits and nudes; dramatically light flower studies; and gay S&M imagery that leave nothing to the imagination. Now the entirety of his artistic practice has been collected into two exhibitions organized by the Getty Research Institute titled Robert Mapplethorpe: The Perfect Medium, which opened last week at both the J. Paul Getty Museum and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. 

Through an exhaustive study of Mapplethorpe’s archive, which, according to the press release, includes studio files and art from every period and vein of his production including student work, jewelry, sculptures, and commercial assignments, as well as reference materials and books he collected, the Getty has just released a book titled Robert Mapplethorpe: The Archive. Left: © Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation Digital image © 2010 J. Paul Getty Trust

The book offers new insights on the development of Mapplethorpe’s artistic practice, which started with drawings and collaged images that reference art historical eras, religious practices, social issues, and later on, gay themes. It was only when he borrowed a Polaroid SX-70 camera from an artist friend that he moved towards the medium he immediately recognized as the art form that would define his era. 

Starting with self-portraits and images of his then girlfriend and muse, Patti Smith, Mapplethorpe shaped an approach to lighting and composition that was uniquely his own. All the time he was photographing the celebrities and notable cultural figures who were drawn to his magnetic persona, he constantly studied, collecting books, magazines and ephemera that Patti Smith says, in her insightful Introduction, he absorbed, rather than read. Collecting was part of his makeup from his student days on, and became instrumental in his relationship with Sam Wagstaff, who through his partner’s insights shaped a major photography collection in the days before photography was embraced as a pure art form. 

Robert Mapplethorpe: The Archive presents the artist’s life through his practice and collections, with text and essays that also explore an art world in foment as New York City became a platform for experimentation and innovation during the 1970a BS ‘80s. Info 

This publication is issued on the occasion of the exhibition Robert Mapplethorpe: The Perfect Mediumon view at both the J. Paul Getty Museum and at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art from March 15 and March 20, respectively, through July 31, 2016. 

During the run of these exhibitions, the Getty Museum’s Center for Photographs will also feature the exhibition The Thrill of the Chase: The Wagstaff Collection of Photographs at the J. Paul Getty Museum. This exhibition and accompanying publication of the same name is an opportunity to focus on Wagstaff’s collection and his role as one of the most important patrons and collectors of photography. CV19.BOOK.PHOTO

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