Lady, Lisa Lyon

by Robert Mapplethorpe

A study of Lisa Lyon, bodybuilder, in a series of black and white portraits that showcase the photographer's sensitivity to form, light and texture

Genres: Photography, Art

Paperback

First published March 15, 1983

About the author

Robert Mapplethorpe was an American photographer whose mastery of black-and-white composition and provocative subject matter made him a central, often polarizing, figure in 20th-century art. Born in Queens, New York, and raised in a strict Catholic household, he studied graphic arts at the Pratt Institute before immersing himself in the vibrant 1960s Manhattan art scene. During this time, he began a lifelong creative partnership and friendship with musician Patti Smith, an association that would prove foundational to both of their careers.
Mapplethorpe’s early work utilized Polaroid photography, but his practice evolved significantly after meeting curator and mentor Sam Wagstaff in 1972. By the mid-1970s, he had adopted the Hasselblad medium-format camera, using its precision to explore subjects ranging from statuesque nudes and delicate still-life flowers—most notably orchids and calla lilies—to formal portraits of celebrities like Andy Warhol and Debbie Harry. However, he is perhaps most famous for his unflinching documentation of New York’s gay BDSM subculture. His work in this area sought to imbue the erotic with the grandeur and nobility of classical sculpture, often utilizing highly formal, statuesque compositions that referenced religious and Renaissance imagery.
Posthumously, Mapplethorpe became a catalyst for the American "culture wars." His 1989 traveling exhibition, The Perfect Moment, sparked a fierce national debate over public funding for the arts and the constitutional limits of free speech. The controversy led to the Corcoran Gallery of Art canceling the show and resulted in an obscenity trial for the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati, though the museum was eventually acquitted.
Mapplethorpe died at age 42 from complications related to HIV/AIDS. Before his passing, he established the Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation to protect his legacy and fund medical research for HIV/AIDS treatment. Today, his work is held in major institutional collections, including the Guggenheim and the Getty Museum, where it continues to be celebrated for its technical perfection and its bold exploration of the human form and sexual identity.

Reviews

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lisa Lyons was the very first womens' champion bodybuilder in the early Eighties, so Robert Mapplethorpe photographed an entire portfolio of her portraying various personae: Circus Girl, Dominatrix, Black Widow, Biker, and many nudes, etc. The results are mixed: some pictures are well done and some look like amateur hour at flick*r, but Lyon is a good model. Check it out!

[Chris Schneider · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fairly unlikely combination of a woman body builder from LA and a famous photographer from NYC known for flowers and gay erotica, this book shows several sessions that Mapplethorpe did with Lyon, some on the beach, many in studio, others on location. He celebrates her mixture of masculinity and femininity, often in the same shots. Many are highly alluring, while some are fairly typical nudie pics. At his best (in my view the hazy nudes in studio with a blank white backdrop), they are simple and elegant, with a nod to some of his most famous work.

[Petergiaquinta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was quite fascinated with Lisa Lyon back in 1983 and fond of Mapplethorpe's collection of photographs of her, as well. Fran gave me the book, and I still have it on the shelf today. I pulled it out and flipped through the pages after I heard of Lyon's death today. She was a rather remarkable figure, and it is sad that she is gone already.