Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures

An unflinching and sometimes graphic account of the life, art and legacy of the legendary photographer Robert Mapplethorpe.

An unflinching and sometimes graphic account of the life, art and legacy of the legendary photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, with rich testimony from those who knew and worked with him. Robert Mapplethorpe’s work still has the power to shock, with its fearless depiction of the full spectrum of gay sexual practice, including sadomasochism, fetish and extreme sex.

This in-depth portrait of the legendary photographer features an extraordinary range of interviews with family, friends, fellow students, artists, lovers, models and co-workers – rich testimonies from eyewitnesses at various stages of Mapplethorpe’s career. Beautifully shot, it is a carefully constructed celebration of an individual’s devotion to art and a record of the power of photographic expression. Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato’s (RuPaul’s Drag Race, Inside Deep Throat) unflinching film offers a wide audience the chance to revel in the boldly seductive and provocative images that are usually only seen in gallery spaces, and to discover how many of his key images came to be made. It may unsettle viewers of a nervous disposition.