Contra

─── 2018
Robert Mapplethorpe lived a life of contradictions; an altar boy who grew up to be one of the most controversial photographers of the late 1970s
He got his start when he became involved with the BDSM scene of the mid 70s. In the 80's, his interests shifted towards high art photography where the human form became extensions of sculptures and flowers. Going from one extreme to the other is a theme in his life; therefore the name of his exhibit is called ‘Contra - Robert Mapplethorpe: Part Altar Boy, Part Leather Bar. A high contrast font and the colors black and white were chosen to represent this theme. Red is used as a small but ever present reminder of the explicit nature of his work.

Fascinated by the obscene

He was part of the underground leather scene of the 80's and this taboo culture shaped his subject matter. His goal was to shock the public with uninhibited but tasteful depictions of the human form.