@1tm122n22m, Atma Unum
Discover the sublime photography of Robert Mapplethorpe, which challenges the boundaries of the human body and gay culture in the 70s. A controversial work that continues to dazzle. #Art #Photography #GayCulture https://wp.me/p3JLEZ-3r
We share this article by Thomas Flechel. It was the result of the Creative Consciousness workshop taught by Master Ra’al Ki Victorieux in Realia, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico.
Da click aquí para leer la versión en español: Mapplethorpe, viaje infinito
The aesthetics of the work confront us with the sublime of the human body, the image entangles our gaze in a dark and spiral circle of beauty. The effort of the body, and the interplay of light emphasize desire and drama. The theme is related to Mapplethorpe’s arrival in NY in the 70s, amid the boom of the photography market as art and the explosion of gay culture. His creative will in black and white conveys a certain poetic nostalgia. The artist surpasses what could be the classical portrait of the human body, thanks to a beautiful interplay of light and composition.
It could be that the circle where man spins represents the world, or an infinite journey in which he rotates around his own axis, the exacerbated and trapped sensuality, probably intoxicated… Mapplethorpe’s photographic work achieves a contrast between sublime visual poetry and the dangers to which the journeys of desire can lead.
The photography is produced in a social context of cultural controversy regarding homoeroticism. This piece is part of the work that sparked strong debates concerning the allocation of public funds for visual art, as certain communities question whether federal government support should be applied to artists and works that openly address sexual diversity. As portrayed in the film “Dirty Pictures,” a large part of society rejected his work at that time. However, the aesthetic proposal and artistic value of Mapplethorpe’s work has survived the controversy and enriched the history of photographic art.
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