Preview before the press conference
When I told some of the regulars of the Stammtisch last autumn that the next exhibition would contain a section entitled 'Cocks and Flowers' they thought I was joking. Here it is.
In the section Robert & Patti,
the Patti Smith portraits exude the protectiveness Mapplethorpe felt towards his friend, his lover, his muse.
The other subjects he photographed however were just that. Subjects.
"When Robert took pictures, it was like he owned the subject. He dominated them completely. He didn't see you as a person, but as an art object." David Cronland about Robert Mapplethorpe.
The exhibition is clear, simple and very strong.
Mapplethorpe's work has an air of honesty about it even if, some of his works are alien to your world, they are scenes which happen every day and have happened every day for all time. They are more real than the air-brushed super models that grace our media every day.
And yet Mapplethorpe remains controversial even today.
Only in 2008 was Mapplethorpe's work actually allowed to go on sale in Japan.
The sections Black Men & White Women and Bodies & Faces, plus two movies about this most enigmatic artist complete this exhibition. There's an incredible amount to discover about Mapplethorpe. We look forward to seeing you there.
