
Nude men in rubber suits, close-ups of erections, objects shoved in the most intimate of places—these are photographs taken by Robert Mapplethorpe, known by many as the most controversial photographer of the twentieth century. Openly gay, Mapplethorpe took images of male sex, nudity, and fetish to extremes that resulted in his work still being labelled by some as pornography masquerading as art. But less talked about are the more serene, yet striking portraits of flowers, sculptures, and perfectly framed human forms that are equally pioneering and powerful.

Robert Mapplethorpe
Self (archive footage)

Fran Lebowitz
Self

Debbie Harry
Self

Brooke Shields
Self
Carolina Herrera
Self
Paul Martineau
Self

Bob Colacello
Self

Patti Smith
Self (voice) (uncredited)

This Is Everything: Gigi Gorgeous
This Is Everything: Gigi Gorgeous

Codebreaker Alan Turing Persecution Of A Genius
Codebreaker Alan Turing Persecution Of A Genius

Muxes
Muxes

Boys on Film 23: Dangerous to Know
Boys on Film 23: Dangerous to Know

Gender Revolution: A Journey with Katie Couric
Gender Revolution: A Journey with Katie Couric

Art and Pep
Art and Pep

I Am My Own Woman
I Am My Own Woman

To Be a Bruja
To Be a Bruja

The Circle
The Circle

Gay Rights
Gay Rights

Moonface: A Woman in the War
Moonface: A Woman in the War

Montgomery Clift
Montgomery Clift