Robert Mapplethorpe and the Classical Tradition
dal 30/6/2005 al 24/8/2005
Segnalato da
30/6/2005
Robert Mapplethorpe and the Classical Tradition
Guggenheim Museum, New York
Photographs and Mannerist Prints. This exhibition explores the dialogue between the photography of the artist and Classical art, in particular late 16th-century Flemish Mannerist prints. The electric potency of love, which informs many of the Mannerist works in the exhibition, is expressed as well in the work of Mapplethorpe, whose sometimes-shocking photographs reveal compelling strength and a nervous energy. Passionate about the human body, he described photography as 'the perfect way to make a sculpture'.
Photographs and Mannerist Prints
This exhibition explores the dialogue between the photography of Robert Mapplethorpe and Classical art, in particular late 16th-century Flemish Mannerist prints.
Rooted in Italian art, Mannerism arose after the death of Raphael in 1520. Referred to as the stylish style, it is characterized by emotional and narrative elements that shift from the balance of harmony articulated by the art of the High Renaissance. In order to emphasize the body, Mannerist artists often violated classical canons of perfect proportions. Figures were not just nude, but elongated and elaborate, and often nearly grotesque in their depiction of exaggerated musculature. Likewise, the physical distortions underscored the drama and cruelty of the narrative, though grace and wit were important features, as reflected in the Mannerists' choice of mythological and allegorical subjects. The electric potency of love, which informs many of the Mannerist works in the exhibition, is expressed as well in the work of Robert Mapplethorpe, whose sometimes-shocking photographs reveal compelling strength and a nervous energy. Passionate about the human body, Mapplethorpe described photography as "the perfect way to make a sculpture." He looked for perfection in form with every subject he tackled, and his photographs, ripe with sculptural tension, are imbued with an erotic ambiguity. Uniting historical sculpture with the model and expressing radical themes in classical historical terms, Mapplethorpe strove to mirror art in life and art in photography. The energetic anatomical forms of Mapplethorpe's portraits find their roots in Antiquity, and in the exhibition find their mirror in the expressive Mannerist prints.
Image: Robert Mapplethorpe, Ken, Lydia, and Tyler, 1985. Gelatin-silver print, 16 x 20 inches. Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation. © Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation. Reproduced with permission. All rights reserved.
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