Robert Mapplethorpe

Robert Mapplethorpe (* 1946, Floral Park, New York. † 1989) was an American photographer and artist. In 1967 she graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and moved to Manhattan. There he met the then unknown musician and poet Patti Smith in the summer of 1967, with whom he lived until 1972 and who motivated him to pursue a career as a photographer. Between 1980 and 1982 he produced a photo series with bodybuilder Lisa Lyon, which he published under the title Lady Lisa Lyon in 1983.

He is considered a pioneer of the LGBTQ movement and the gay community. Mapplethorpe is best known for his often controversial nude portraits and still lifes. He died in 1989 as a result of his AIDS illness.

Michael Ward Stout, 1986. Vintage silver gelatin print, 8 x 10 inch, signed by Eric Johnson, certificate of authentification © Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation / courtesy IKS PHOTO Collection