Overview

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.

Genres

Cast

Robert Mapplethorpe

Self (archive footage)

Fran Lebowitz

Self

Debbie Harry

Self

Brooke Shields

Self

Bob Colacello

Self

Patti Smith

Self (voice) (uncredited)