GAYLETTER

Robert Mapplethorpe Leather Crotch, 1980 ©Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation. Used by permission.

Mapplethorpe’s Saints and Sinners

A must-see show at Sean Kelly gallery through January 25th

By Mossy

SORRY it took me so long to get up to the impeccable Sean Kelly gallery to see ‘Saints and Sinners’ 27 pairings of works by the legendary Robert Mapplethorpe, now on view through January 25th. It’s by far one of the most elegant and thought provoking shows I have seen in a long time. Saints and Sinners includes some iconic imagery (Calla Lily 1988, Man in Polyester Suit 1980, a crouching nude of Patti Smith 1976 and Joe NYC 1977 fully outfitted in S & M latex gear, breathing straw included) as well as some rarely exhibited images. While some diptychs have clear connections, visual or otherwise, others are more ambiguous.

“Mapplethorpe himself deftly subverted any moral implications by presenting his subject matter in an objective, even classical manner, putting the onus on the viewer to draw their own conclusions” Yes, yes and yes. In preparation to see the exhibition I read Patti Smith’s Just Kids and re-watched the documentary Black, White & Gray: A Portrait of Sam Wagstaff and Robert Mapplethorpe. When I arrived at the gallery I was fully steeped in all things “Robert.” I’m glad I did my homework as it laid a foundation on top of which I was able to pour over the photographs and revel in their splendidness.

All Images are courtesy of Sean Kelly, New York.

Robert Mapplethorpe – Colin Streeter, 1978 © Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation.