Mapplethorpe: Polaroids (Hardcover)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Robert Mapplethorpe's black-and-white Polaroid photographs of the 1970s--a medium in which he established the style that would bring him international acclaim--are brought together in this exquisite volume for the first time.

Critically praised for his classically composed photographs, Mapplethorpe remains intensely controversial and enormously popular. Revealing the themes that would inspire him throughout his career, this book brings together almost three hundred images, many never published, from the Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation's archive and private collections, to provide a critical view of Mapplethorpe's formative years as an artist. Included is a selection of his color Polaroids and objects incorporating his early "instant" photographs. Some images convey a disarming tenderness and vulnerability, while others have a toughness and immediacy that would give way in later years to more classical form.

Sylvia Wolf traces the development of Mapplethorpe's use of instant photography during a period of five years, from 1970 to 1975, when the artist worked mainly in this medium. The images include self-portraits, figure studies, still lifes, portraits of lovers and friends such as Patti Smith, Sam Wagstaff, and Marianne Faithfull, and observations of everyday objects. Marked by a spontaneity and creative curiosity, these fragile images offer an illuminating contrast to the formal perfection of the work for which Mapplethorpe is best known, allowing us a more personal glimpse of his artistry.

About the Author

Sylvia Wolf is adjunct curator at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. She is the author of numerous critical works on photography, including Ed Ruscha and Photography, Julia Margaret Cameron's Women, and Michal Rovner: The Space Between.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 254 pages
• Publisher: Prestel Publishing (September 20, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 3791338358
• ISBN-13: 978-3791338354
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #68,477 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must have, August 7, 2008

By	Henry Butz (Holbrook, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Grab a copy of this book, especially if you're a photography buff. Unlike the cover may suggest, it's not just a book of dirty pictures. It's a wonderful collection of brilliant black and white Polaroid transfers. Each image is a genuine work of art and, unlike the cover, images show genius in composition.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars not your regular polaroid pixs, August 20, 2009

By	E. Laway "Lady E" (Temecula, California United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

what do you think of when you hear his name? Yes S&M photos and the uproar that he caused from particular people questioning wether taxpayers' fund should support such smut or is this really art? Now that I think back, what these group people were really afraid of is that . . if we as a nation accept this as art we are all damned to hell, , , mmm maybe this is the impetus for the rise of the riligous right winger republicans that just about ruined this country as we speak, okay, I digrest, , back to the review. This is a nice photo book for a Mapplethorpe starter because although I have admired his work and know a little something about him, i never really owned a book by him. This is a nice start. It's small and handy and if the homoerotic pixs is not for you, you can glaze over those and admire the floral compositions. The portraitures of these seemingly mundane subjects ( linens, matresses, shoes, dressers) are made elegant by just him photographing it. I wish there was a little more of this to replace some of the peni shots and men couples, but its a minor complain. I recommend it nevertheless.