Harry Mapplethorpe

Harry Mapplethorpe was an American photographer known for his large-scale, highly stylized black and white photographs of Calla Lily, Robert Mapplethorpe's brother, was not as famous, however, his work was influenced by Ansel Adams, Dorothea Lange, and Edward Weston. Mapplethorpe's photographs often explored the relationship between New York City's Brooklyn Museum and the Guggenheim Museum. His work was also influenced by the Surrealist movement, particularly the works of Salvador Dali and René Magritte.

● Early Life and Education

Harry Mapplethorpe was born in Floral Park, New York, and grew up in a family of artists, including his brother Robert Mapplethorpe, who was a renowned photographer, and his sister Nancy Mapplethorpe, who was a poet. He studied photography at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, where he was influenced by the works of Richard Avedon, Irving Penn, and Diane Arbus. Mapplethorpe's early work was also influenced by the Abstract Expressionist movement, particularly the works of Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning, which he saw at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

● Career

Mapplethorpe's career as a photographer spanned several decades, during which he worked with numerous galleries, including the Gagosian Gallery and the Whitney Museum of American Art. His work was also featured in various publications, such as The New York Times, The New Yorker, and Aperture. Mapplethorpe's photographs were often exhibited alongside those of other notable photographers, including Cindy Sherman, Richard Prince, and Sherrie Levine, at institutions like the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. He was also influenced by the works of Francis Bacon and Lucian Freud, which he saw at the Tate Britain in London.

● Photography Style and Technique

Mapplethorpe's photography style was characterized by his use of large-scale, highly stylized black and white photographs, often featuring Still Life compositions and Portrait Photography. His technique was influenced by the works of Ansel Adams and Edward Weston, who were known for their use of Zone System and Large Format Camera. Mapplethorpe's photographs often explored the relationship between Light and Shadow, and he was particularly interested in the works of Caravaggio and Rembrandt van Rijn, which he saw at the National Gallery in London and the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. His work was also influenced by the Bauhaus movement, particularly the works of László Moholy-Nagy and Wassily Kandinsky.

● Notable Works and Exhibitions

Mapplethorpe's notable works include his Calla Lily series, which was exhibited at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. His work was also featured in various group exhibitions, including the Whitney Biennial and the Venice Biennale, alongside artists like Jeff Koons, Marina Abramovic, and Gerhard Richter. Mapplethorpe's photographs are held in the permanent collections of numerous institutions, including the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.. His work was also influenced by the Dada movement, particularly the works of Marcel Duchamp and Hannah Höch, which he saw at the Centre Pompidou in Paris.

● Personal Life and Legacy

Mapplethorpe's personal life was marked by his relationships with various artists, including his brother Robert Mapplethorpe and his friends Patti Smith and Sam Wagstaff. His legacy as a photographer continues to be felt, with his work influencing a new generation of artists, including Ryan McGinley and Terry Richardson. Mapplethorpe's photographs are also held in the permanent collections of numerous institutions, including the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the Musée d'Orsay in Paris. His work was also influenced by the Pop Art movement, particularly the works of Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein, which he saw at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles and the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. Category:American photographers