Program No. 61: Robert Mapplethorpe (2006)

This film examines the life and work of Robert Mapplethorpe, the celebrated and controversial photographer who died of AIDS in 1989. It delves into his photography, his connections to the New York art scene, and the city's thriving gay S&M clubs of the 1980s. His strikingly explicit images of the gay leather subculture in New York gained him widespread attention and notoriety. Mapplethorpe’s portraits, floral studies, erotic subjects, and artistic approach transformed photography into a respected art form, suitable for gallery and museum exhibition.