Polaroids

by Robert Mapplethorpe, Sylvia Wolf (Editor)

Robert Mapplethorpe's black-and-white Polaroid photographs of the 1970s--a medium in which he established the style that would bring him international acclaim--are brought together in this new paperback edition. Critically praised for his finely modeled and classically composed photographs, Robert Mapplethorpe remains intensely controversial and enormously popular. This book brings together almost 300 images from the Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation's archive and private collections to provide a critical view of Mapplethorpe's formative years as an artist, revealing the themes that would inspire Mapplethorpe throughout his career. Included is a selection of color Polaroids and objects incorporating his early "instant" photography. Some images convey a disarming tenderness and vulnerability, others a toughness and immediacy that would give way in later years to more classical form. The author traces the development of Mapplethorpe's use of instant photography over a period of five years, from 1970 to 1975, when the artist worked mainly in this medium. The images include self-portraits; figure studies; still lifes; portraits of lovers and friends such as Patti Smith, Sam Wagstaff, and Marianne Faithful; and observations of everyday objects. Marked by a spontaneity and creative curiosity, these fragile images offer an illuminating contrast to the glossy perfection of the work for which Mapplethorpe is best known, allowing us a more personal glimpse of his artistry.

Genres: Photography, Art, Queer, The United States Of America, LGBT, Nonfiction, Visual Art

256 pages, Paperback

First published September 20, 2007

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

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finally just read Just Kids by Patti Smith,

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

and in it she talked about how she and Robert experimented with a Polaroid camera. I then read Smith’s Camera Solo

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

which shares a selection of her Polaroid work. And so of course I now revisit Mapplethorpe’s Polaroid work, impressively curated and introduced by Sylvia Wolf through a long essay. We have here a generous selection of Mapplethorpe’s early work, with obvious experimentation,
some color, mostly black and white. Some of it controversial in the seventies, maybe a little less so now. Many of these photographs were not seen until this book, which makes them maybe even more interesting and important. It’s seventies nostalgia, lovingly framed and produced. And a master’s beginnings.

And whenever I see photographs here of Patti, having read of their love, well, I slow down: Here’s one:

http://whitney.org/Exhibitions/Robert...

Here’s another one or four:

http://www.dazeddigital.com/photograp...

[♣ Irish Smurfétté ♣ · Rating 5 out of 5]

The four years of research the author undertook in order to create this large collection, in context and with biography, is evident.

There are some color images on the first few pages, and then about 40 pages of text with additional images to build the story of Mapplethorpe and this early work of his. It's a mix of bio, critiques, interpretations, and questions about what might have been the motivation or inspiration for a particular style or photograph being discussed.

Context is important. When he began creating these images, the world was a different place than it is now. Yes, many challenges remain, but back in the 70's, many of the subjects on which Mapplethorpe focuses were not out in the "mainstream", as it were. In other words, his life and decision, his desire, to share with us are significant.

It makes me wonder more than a little what his experience would have been in a later era.

I'm kind of rediscovering my love of his photographs, the obvious experimentation, and his own discoveries and curiosity about what he sees. It's been quite some time since I've interacted with his work, especially these early images. I'm in love all over again.

There are over 150 B&W polaroids printed in this book. They're presented on heavy stock paper, and there's even a slight raise to the images thanks to the brilliant ink usage in guaranteeing each image is exactly like its original. The majority of these were only ever seen by a few before being published here and, for me, they deepen my appreciation of Mapplethorpe's work, and all of the feelings it invokes.

Rediscovery, broadened perspective, and plain ol'enjoyment are all buoyed by the not insignificant dash of nostalgia each time glimpses of the 70's reveal themselves.

[Jakub Brudny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mój ulubiony album prezentujący czyjaś sztukę wizualną. Genialna, g e n i a l n a analiza we wstępie, 50-kilka stron czystej pogłębionej wiedzy będącej gratką dla fascynatów fotografii oraz oczywiście fanów twórczości Roberta Mapplethrope'a. Później rzecz jasna równie mistrzowskie fotografie, bardzo wiele, stanowiące przekrój twórczości z lat 1969 (?) - 1975. Zachęcili mnie nie tylko do dalszego eksplorowania sztuki Roberta, ale i do zakupu polaroida (co nie jest oczywiście małym wydatkiem, ale klimat tych zdjęć jest powalający więc może jakoś gdzieś coś... grosz do grosza)

[Jacob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing artist and historical how Robert Mapplethorpe did photographs in the begin of his works.

[Piotr Płoszczyca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Po przeczytaniu mam ochotę kupić Polaroida. To niesamowite, jak Robert Mapplethorpe eksperymentował z fotografią natychmiastową i jak dobre zdjęcia mu wychodziły

[Aidan · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my major regrets after graduating college is that I didn't take more art history classes. My American Art History class was one of the best classes I took in college, even if the first two weeks was so boring for me. The class only went up to the armory show, but a friend told me about Mapplethorpe after a conversation we had about Thomas Eakins and homoerotic art.

As a queer man it is fairly obvious that I love the male figure. Thomas Eakins wrote in a letter, "...a naked woman is the most beautiful thing there is -- except a naked man." That quote has really stuck with me and my interest in art. I think Mapplethorpe's polaroid's leave me with a similar feeling. The way he presents the male nude is beautiful. While the works are deeply erotic there is also something more to them that I'm not sure I can explain.

[Javiera Cordero Nadeau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robert es uno de mis fotógrafos favoritos y este era el único recopilado que estaba dentro de mi presupuesto.
es el libro más caro que tengo, pero es el que más uso para inspirarme.
como dije, es un recopilado de sus primeras polaroids y está acompañado de un muy buen ensayo que complementa las fotos.
las imágenes son increíbles, se nota que estaba recién empezando y experimentando con las distintas técnicas que te permite la fotografía análoga.
su estilo de fotografía es fantástico y, a mi parecer, bastante único.

[Stéphanie Amesse · Rating 5 out of 5]

A comprehensive overview of Mapplethorpe's early works, with a solid text by Sylvia Wolf.