Tag Archives: Mapplethorpe

Robert Mapplethorpe exhibition at the Guggenheim in New York City

There’s a really hot exhibition of works by Robert Mapplethorpe through July 10, then returning July 24 until early January, at the Guggenheim museum in New York City. If you are in or are coming to New York, it’s definitely worth checking out.

Although many of these photographs are famous, I had never seen them exhibited in a gallery before. I’m impressed with the technical quality of Mapplethorpe’s work, and I am moved by his subject matter. Mapplethorpe depicted leather and s/m sex, and even rubber and other fetishes! This was incredibly groundbreaking for someone in the 1970s. You have to remember that he was working before the Internet, before Tumblr made subject matter like this abundant.

I thought a lot about one image — “Joe (Rubber Man)” — because I am wondering where he would have gotten that full rubber body suit back then. There’s also some even more shocking stuff (not pictured here) including a watersports picture and another, a self-portrait, in which the artist has a bullwhip up his butt.

My favorite picture of all (shown above and below) is “Brian Ridley and Lyle Heeter,” the picture in which a leather Sir has his boy chained up in their living room.

Below are some of the pictures I took of the pictures:

Metalbond visits Robert Mapplethorpe exhibition at the Guggenheim

 

You can learn more about this exhibition at the Guggenheim by clicking here.

There are also several movies about Mapplethorpe, the best of which is (in my opinion) called “Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures” — trailer here:

Metalbond A to Z: Vintage male bondage

For the letter V, let’s go with VINTAGE male bondage. It’s hard to believe anything ever happened before the internet, and before Tumblr, but back in the day there was LOTS of hot male bondage out there, in print and on video and even in the movies.

 

Some of those pictured above include: Rob Cryston, a famous photograph by Robert Mapplethorpe, Kristofer Weston (when he was Steve Landess), the work of Larry Townsend, the work of James Bond, an image from the Mr S catalog, artwork by Cavelo, and much more.

Many of the images above are from the Vintage male bondage site.

Highly recommended — ‘Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures’

I caught this new documentary recently down at Cinema Village on 12th Street, and I really liked it. It’s got some fantastic interviews with his family, his lovers and many others. They talk about New York’s gay leather/BDSM scene in the 1970s, the Mineshaft, Drummer magazine, and lots more. Here’s the trailer:

 

I have a much greater appreciation of Mapplethorpe as an artist, having seen this most excellent tribute. See this if you can.

The film’s official website is here.

Mapplethorpe Foundation here.