Mapplethorpe: A Film About The Life Of Photographer Robert Mapplethorpe

Robert Mapplethorpe was an American photographer and arguably one of the most important artists of the 20th century. Mapplethorpe discovered himself both sexually and artistically in New York City throughout the 70’s and 80’s. His work featured an array of subjects, including celebrity portraits, male and female nudes, self-portraits and still-life images of flowers.

The film explores Mapplethorpe’s life just before he (Matt Smith) and Patti Smith (Marianne Rendón) took up residence in the famed Chelsea Hotel. There, he begins photographing its inhabitants and his new found circle of friends including artists and musicians, socialites, film stars, and members of the S&M underground. Mapplethorpe’s work displayed eroticism in a way that had never been examined nor displayed before to the public.

Coming to theaters 1 March 2019, the film is a look at the life of photographer Robert Mapplethorpe and explores the intersection of his art and his sexuality along with his struggle for mainstream recognition. Mapplethorpe offers a nuanced portrait of an artist at the height of his craft and of the self-destructive impulses that threaten to undermine it all.

Watch the trailer for Mapplethorpe