In the late 70s, photographs of men embracing sparked wild hysteria. These two embracing bodies, captured under perfect studio conditions, tantalise viewers with slivers of excitement from Mapplethorpe’s life -- well-formed muscles, lights and shadows on perfect human forms, blacks and whites. Mapplethorpe’s photography perpetuates the classical idea of the human form. He photographs men and women as they would appear in the eye of Rodin. Mapplethorpe unleashed the human form by photographing his subjects outside of their common locations.

Self Portrait | Homoerotic | Form | Classical | Comments? You can view comments or reviews of the Robert Mapplethorpe Retrospective when visiting the Gallery of Photography, Temple Bar, Dublin, Ireland from November 1996 through January 1997. Photograph copyright © Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation. Site assistance provided by Temple Bar Properties.