Robert Mapplethorpe
Robert Mapplethorpe
Robert Mapplethorpewas an American photographer, known for his sensitive yet blunt treatment of controversial subject-matter in the large-scale, highly stylized black and white medium of photography. His work featured an array of subjects, including celebrity portraits, male and female nudes, self-portraits and still-life images 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...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionPhotographer
Date of Birth4 November 1946
CountryUnited States of America
Robert Mapplethorpe quotes about
Whether it's an orgy or a cocktail party, I know how to do it.
When I’m behind a camera I forget I exist
The best picture I got was Bianca Jagger whispering in Mick's ear. I caught them telling a secret, which is sort of rude.
This AIDS stuff is pretty scary. I hope I don't get it.
I'm not photographing anything naked these days. I haven't been concentrating on bodies recently.
People don't have time to wait for somebody to paint their portraits anymore. The money is in photography.
I want to see something I've never seen before.
My lifestyle is bizarre, but the only thing you need to know is where the darkroom is
You're never going to get anywhere in life if you don't live up to your obligations.
I was a Catholic boy, I went to church every Sunday. A church has a certain magic and mystery for a child. It still shows in how I arrange things. It's always little altars.
I played around with the flowers and the lighting, so that was a good way to educate myself
With photography, you zero in; you put a lot of energy into short moments, and then you go on to the next thing.
My work is about seeing - seeing things like they haven't been seen before.
If I have to change my lifestyle, I don't want to live