- Hardcover: 384 pages
- Publisher: Jonathan Cape Ltd (5 Nov 1992)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 022403605X
- ISBN-13: 978-0224036054
- Product Dimensions: 32.6 x 30.6 x 5.2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,577,803 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Product Description
Encompassing all aspects of Robert Mapplethorpe's photographic career, this book begins with his earliest unpublished Polaroid pictures, and continues with portraits of friends through to his more well-known works. By the photographer of "Lady, Lisa Lyon", "Robert Mapplethorpe" and "Some Women".
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Mapplethorpe is arguably the most extraordinary artist working in photography during the 20th century, producing extraordinarily clear, classically composed and conceived sensuous images that are often raw and shocking for the average viewer (specifically his homosexual and bondage images, which generated huge controversy and legal cases when there was an attempt to exhibit them in art museums), yet always beautifully lit, composed and conceived. He makes anything lovely. His portraits (check out Some Women), flower photos and nudes share therefore in an attempt to create perfection in black-and-white. You could put it like this: he attempted to make both a flower and a body, a face and a close-up of genitalia, look like heaven on earth. No one else gets close to achieving this. Remember, for him it was all beautiful.
Well worth the price, as long as you're comfortable with much of the explicit subject matter -- male nudity, sometimes extreme.
Well worth the price, as long as you're comfortable with much of the explicit subject matter -- male nudity, sometimes extreme.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Those who are buying this book most likely know the work of the author and either want to have a research copy of Mapplethorpe's work handy, or, like me, gain more depth on understanding his work. Either way, this is a MUST HAVE book for anyone into author photography. It served me well as a photography student, as a professional photographer, and should continue to serve me well as a source of inspiration and great reference material in architecture school.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
10 reviews
34 of 34 people found the following review helpful
Worth the expense but a bit disappointing
14 July 2000
Format:Hardcover
While this handsome, exceptionally made collection of Mapplethorpe photography is certainly worth its cost, the editors have done a disservice to the artist by eliminating the framing effects Mapplethorpe created to off-set his own work, and thus sometimes robbing individual images of their ultimately intended impact. Worse still, these particular reproductions generally eliminate the sepia, blue-ish, or silvery tones of the original works and consequently misrepresent the artist's intent. Those who are established admires of Mapplethorpe will be impressed by this book; those who have not previously seen his work, however, will probably wonder what all the artistic fuss was about.
23 of 24 people found the following review helpful
A more varied collection of photographs you will never see
30 July 1998
Format:Hardcover
Ranging from graphic depictions of gay sex to portraits of little girls and flowers, Robert Mapplethorpe was all over the artistic map. This collection of his work is magnificent in its scope, frequently shocking, and ultimately very beautiful. The more extreme photographs have a tenderness to them, and the seemingly harmless photos generate an edginess that's hard to shake. Simultaneously devoted to a strict sense of formalism and composition and to forging a new iconography of homosexuality, it's easy to see why Mapplethorpe provoked so much controversy in his time. The many portraits of celebrities are perhaps the least interesting photos in the book, but add a certain classiness to the proceedings. A must-have for any fan of transgressive or technically accomplished photography.
31 of 36 people found the following review helpful
A good collection showing a range of photo types.
22 Oct 2001
Format:Hardcover
This book is LARGE! Very large. It is approximately 12" square, like a vinyl LP record, and comes in a tough card outer sleeve or box, thus keeping the actual book itself free from damage. I don't know exactly how much it weighs, but I suspect that it must be 3-4 Kg, so if you order it warn your postman! The images are all B&W.
It is also large in terms of content, there being some 600-odd images presented. There is an intoxicating range of photographs spreading over many years of Mapplethorpe's work and many genres. I have always found his flower portraits the most inspiring and they are here in plenty although regrettably none in colour. Obviously there also the formal portraits, the pictures of large male genitalia, pictures of Patti Smith (who is she, anyway?), a large number of self portraits, and many others.
This is NOT a book of sex images although there are few that are 'close to the mark', rather a collection of more of Mapplethorpe's more artistic ventures. Of all, I was much struck by the simple (polaroid) image of a young man on page 25, simple called "Untitled, 1974".
There is a superb essay by Arthur C. Danto explaining much of the controversy surrounding this photographer, along with a very full catalogue of Mapplethorpe's work, his books, exhibitions, and a bibliography of those who have written about or included his works.
Very good value for money if you are a fan.
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