Robert Mapplethorpe is best known as a shock photographer. His X Portfolio is the most notorious of all his work and also the most well known. What most people don't like to admit is that even though his images are shocking, or could be considered obscene, it is also shot in such a way that one can't help but admit that there is a beauty and universal aesthetic in his work.
One example of this idea is "Joe," a photograph from his X Portfolio. At first glance, the viewer will either be taken off guard by the beauty of the composition and lighting, or be taken aback by the fetish content. But the image is only shocking to those individuals that do not take part in this lifestyle. For the man in this photo, this is part of his life and would not be shocking, but seen as a way of self expression and sexual freedom.
The beauty is in the careful positioning of the figure and the way in which the composition is lit. The figure's arms and legs are positioned parallel to each other in such a way that the angles created draw the eye into the image. The detail that Mapplethorpe is able to achieve in the highlights and mid-tones of the image is masterful and is why is images have been appreciated by the art community.
Mapplethorpe may not be everyone's idea of a great artist, but what he has been able to do is make people see the beauty in a subject matter that is sometimes hard to accept. He was able to make people appreciate the aesthetic quality even if they weren't a part of that world.
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