Patti Smith

by Robert Mapplethorpe

Artist Robert Mapplethorpe (USA, 1946 - 1989)

Date1978

MediumGelatin silver print mounted on board

DimensionsBildmått: 35,4 × 35,4 cm Pappersmått: 50 × 40 cm

ClassificationPhotography

Credit LineDonation 1998 from The Estate of Robert Mapplethorpe

Countries

United States

Object NumberMOMF 1998 012 001

CollectionsSömnlösa nätter

The artwork is not on display

About the artworkRobert Mapplethorpe’s photographs express a tension between violence, nudity, homosexuality, sadomasochism and classical beauty. Early in his career, he took portraits of close friends, but his growing reputation made him the court photographer of the New York cultural and social elite. In his youth, he lived with the poet and rock musician Patti Smith, who writes about this period in her book Just Kids, published in 2010. Mapplethorpe’s oeuvre can be divided into a few distinct periods. In the 1970s, the emphasis is on gay subcultures. In the early 1980s, the body builder Lisa Lyon and nude or almost naked black men were among his favourite motifs, while his main interest lay in flowers and sculptures towards the end of his life. Many of his photographs were considered controversial, and his art frequently provoked debate in the USA.
Description Patti Smith Signatures, inscriptions and marks Signerad på kartongens baksida, År, titel och upplaga 10/10 på kartongens baksida., Copyrightstämpel på kartongens baksida Selected exhibition history Nyförvärv av Henri Cartier-Bresson, Ralph Gibson, Robert Mapplethorpe och Araki (1998-1999) Moderna Museet, Stockholm Sömnlösa nätter. Från 1980-talet i Moderna Museets samling (den 24 februari 2023 - den 14 januari 2024) Moderna Museet, Stockholm Ladies and Gentlemen! Med kameran som spegel (den 17 februari 2012 - den 22 april 2012) Moderna Museet Malmö

Works by the artist