Thirty years after his death, the Guggenheim Museum in New York will hold a year-long exhibition celebrating the renowned photographer and artist Robert Mapplethorpe.
Robert Mapplethorpe, Self Portrait, 1980. Gelatin silver print, 35.9 x 35.7 cm. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, Gift, The Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation, 93.4289 © Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation. Used by permission.
Mapplethorpe, who lived from 1946 to 1989, was one of the most critically acclaimed – and controversial – artists of his era. The Guggenheim acquired nearly two hundred photographs and unique objects from the Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation back in 1993, putting the art museum in possession of “one of the most comprehensive public repositories in the world of this important artist’s work”.
Robert Mapplethorpe, Candy Darling, 1973. Four dye diffusion transfer prints (Polaroid), in painted plastic mounts and acrylic frame Image: 9.5 x 7.3 cm each; 14.3 x 38.3 cm overall. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, Gift, The Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation, 95.4306 © The Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation. Used by permission.
The museum will celebrate Mapplethorpe’s legacy with a year-long exhibition of his work, held in two parts. Implicit Tensions: Mapplethorpe Now will be held in the Mapplethorpe Gallery. The first phase, from 25 January to 10 July, will showcase pieces from the Guggenheim’s collection, which will include the artist’s early Polaroids, collages, and mixed-media constructions. As he is famous for his portraits and photography, there will also be his iconic photographs of male and female nudes, flowers and more. This will include his many portraits of artists and celebrities, like Patti Smith, his best-known self-portraits, and his famous and explicit portraits from the S&M underground.
Robert Mapplethorpe, Patti Smith, 1976. Gelatin silver print mounted on board, A.P. 1/2, 50.8 x 40.6 cm. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, Gift, The Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation, 93.4278 © Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation. Used by permission.
The second phase will run from 24 July until 5 January, 2020. This will look at Mapplethorpe’s lasting legacy and influence in the world of contemporary portraiture. The exhibit will show off contemporary artists from the museum’s collection who reference his work, or “whose approach to picturing the body and exploring identity through portraiture finds resonances in Mapplethorpe’s oeuvre”.
Travellers heading to the Guggenheim can expect to see much more than just Mapplethorpe’s work – the iconic building, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, is as eye-catching as any of the works within.
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