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'''Robert Mapplethorpe''' (1946–1989) was a well-known and controversial photographer who became famous for his sexually explicit pictures (many of them with [[homosexual]] themes).  The fact that some of his work was publicly funded led to a campaign to eliminate "offensive" art from the [[National Endowment for the Arts|National Endowment]].  He lived the lifestyle that he promoted and died at an age of 42 from an [[AIDS]]-related illness.

'''Robert Mapplethorpe''' (1946–1989) was a well-known and controversial photographer who became famous for his sexually explicit pictures (many of them with [[homosexual]] themes).  The fact that some of his work was publicly funded led to a campaign to eliminate "offensive" art from the [[National Endowment for the Arts|National Endowment]].  He lived the lifestyle that he promoted and died at the age of 42 from an [[AIDS]]-related illness.

Mapplethorpe's photographs invariably included detailed explorations of [[flowers]], [[homosexual]] erotica, and [[Patti Smith]], with whom he lived early in his career.  His work is often viewed as a continuation of the image-focused exhibits of fellow artist [[Andy Warhol]], as well as exploration in the study of composition and grayscale utilization pioneered by [[Diane Arbus]] and [[Paul Outerbridge]].<ref name="Morr">Morrinsoe, Patricia.  ''Mapplethorpe: A Biography''. New York: Random House</ref>  While not particularly technically adept, Mapplethorpe had a keen instinctual eye for that which he was photographing; “I never liked photography,” he said of his work, “Not for the sake of photography. I like the object. I like the photographs when you hold them in your hand.”<ref>Mapplethorpe Foundation Website</ref>

Mapplethorpe's photographs included detailed explorations of [[flowers]], [[homosexual]] erotica, and [[Patti Smith]], with whom he lived early in his career.  His work is often viewed as a continuation of the image-focused exhibits of fellow artist [[Andy Warhol]], as well as exploration in the study of composition and grayscale utilization pioneered by [[Diane Arbus]] and [[Paul Outerbridge]].<ref name="Morr">Morrinsoe, Patricia.  ''Mapplethorpe: A Biography''. New York: Random House</ref>  While not particularly technically adept, Mapplethorpe had a keen instinctual eye for that which he was photographing. “I never liked photography,” he said of his work. “Not for the sake of photography. I like the object. I like the photographs when you hold them in your hand.”<ref>Mapplethorpe Foundation Website</ref>

Mapplethorpe was central in a controversy during the 1970s over the role of the [[National Endowment for the Arts]] in financing artistic endeavors, when many people objected to the content of his federally funded artwork and found his photographs offensive.<ref name="Morr" />

Smith's memoir of her relationship with Mapplethorpe, ''Just Kids'', won the [[National Book Award]] for [[nonfiction]] in 2010.<ref>http://www.nationalbook.org/nba2010.html</ref>

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[[Category:Photographers]]

[[Category:Photographers]]