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Review [published June 1996]
Patricia Morrisroe: Robert Mapplethorpe: A Biography
Nick Clapson
Robert Mapplethorpe has long been a contentious figure
in the art world, with much of this debate focusing
on whether or not his erotic/homoerotic photographs
trespass the boundaries of pornography. This is a matter
which becomes especially prejudiced by the fact
that they often deal with the difficult subject of gay
sadomasochism. Much of his other work, however,
deals with more innocuous subjects like portraiture and
floral studies. Whatever his subject matter, though, his
photographs constantly sought to elicit, and so control,
the beauty present in all that he observed, be it Richard
Gere or a lily.
Patricia Morrisroe’s book manages to trace a wellbalanced
path through Mapplethorpe’s career from
suburban student to New York star, often pausing to
illuminate pertinent links between his life and art. For
example, Mapplethorpe’s personal calculating manner
is presented as an obvious impetus for his highly controlled,
almost classical style. By not shying away from
Mapplethorpe’s ‘darker’ pursuits, Morrisoe generates a
more exacting image of this frequently disturbing artist.
She renders Mapplethorpe with a shocking honesty,
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and as result he is frequently portrayed as being cold
and detached. Indeed, if Morrisroe is to be believed,
Mapplethorpe’s attitude towards unprotected sex after
being infected with AIDS is nothing short of chilling.
Mapplethorpe is shown to be a man obsessed by
money and fame, pursuing both remorselessly throughout
his brief life, using anyone he could to achieve his
aims. Paradoxically, though, his objectionable traits
were balanced by a charisma that constantly drew people
towards him. By examining this milieu, Morrisroe
has also explored the intimate details of his long-term
relationships, particularly with singer/poet Patti Smith
and collector Sam Wagstaff.
Morrisroe has achieved a work of outstanding clarity.
She provides not only an exhaustive, yet riveting,
examination of a major artist’s life, but also manages
to demythologise her subject along the way by careful
avoidance of the usual clichés. Morrisroe presents
Mapplethorpe – photographer or artist, pornographer
or celebrity – stripped of his mask, his troubling face
available for all to view in the harsh light of history. The
only evident limitations to the overall success of this
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