Robert Mapplethorpe | |
|---|---|
 Self-Portrait, 1980 | |
| Born | Robert Michael Mapplethorpe November 4, 1946 Queens, New York City, U.S. |
| Died | March 9, 1989 (aged 42) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Resting place | St. John Cemetery, Queens, New York City |
| Education | Pratt Institute |
| Known for | Photography |
| Partner(s) | Patti Smith (1967–1970) David Croland (1970–1972) Sam Wagstaff (1972–1987) |
| Website | mapplethorpe |
Robert Michael Mapplethorpe (/ˈmeɪpəlˌθɔːrp/ MAY-pəl-thorp; November 4, 1946 – March 9, 1989) was an American photographer, best known for his black-and-white photographs. His work featured an array of subjects, including celebrity portraits, male and female nudes, self-portraits, and still-life images. His most controversial works documented and examined the gay male BDSM subculture of New York City in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Mapplethorpe's 1989 exhibition, Robert Mapplethorpe: The Perfect Moment, sparked a debate in the United States concerning both use of public funds for "obscene" artwork and the Constitutional limits of free speech in the United States.