PROVOCATIVE ART

Provocative Art

Provocative Art

In the field of portraiture, Mapplethorpe photographed many prominent contemporary figures, mainly artists and celebrities, including artist Andy Warhol, artist, musician Laurie Anderson, singer Patti Smith, artist Louise Bourgeois, the actress Kathleen Turner, actor Donald Sustherland, and fellow photographer Lord Snowdon. These cool, detached images show a thorough job of Mapplethorpe. Some have criticized them for being "spot", while others believe that they are one of the best portraits ever made. Mapplethorpe also created a series of self portraits. Often sexually ambiguous or androgynous, these images chronicle the maturation process of the artist.

The most controversial, of ...