Robert Mapplethorpe (1946-1989) Retrospective
Self-portrait, 1988, platinum print, private collection





Text and images by Chen Chi-Hsiang. Robert Mapplethorpe (1946–1989) said: “My most perfect exploration of form is in portraits, sex, and flowers.” Mapplethorpe was an artist obsessed with seeking perfect aesthetics, shaping them within his soul and imagination. He wanted viewers to appreciate his work first as art, and only then as photography.