"Mapplethorpe: Look At The Pictures"
HBO Production (2016)
This week we were asked to watch the film "Mapplethorpe: Look At The Pictures." This film reveals the life of Robert Mapplethorpe, a famous photographer known for his controversial photos of nudity, sexuality, and fetishism. There were some things I liked about Robert Mapplethorpe's work and there were a lot of things I disliked. I was a fan of how his social life and artistic life were connected and allowed him to create the work he did. I was not a fan of his drive and how everything revolved around fame, money, and sex for Robert. Mapplethorpe was focused on making as much money as possible and he had to be the star of the show. One moment in the film talks about Robert's brother Edward and how he was asked to change his last name so the two photographers did not share the same name and all the fame would stay with "Mapplethorpe." Regarding his images of the body, I was not bothered by most of his work. I found a lot of his work to be beautiful and the more grotesque pieces made you think about what photography and art can be. Overall I liked Robert Mapplethorpe's work, but I dislike his work ethic and the lengths he went to achieve his fame.
