On male erotica
The male body is just as beautiful and sexy as the female body. Our photographer looks at the work of Robert Mapplethorpe, a revolutionary of male erotic photography.
On male erotica
On male erotica. The male body is just as beautiful and sexy as the female body. Like any body, really. Today, together with our photographer, we're looking at the work of one of the most remarkable photographers of the 20th century, Robert Mapplethorpe.
"Robert Mapplethorpe was a star of the New York scene, a photographer and a revolutionary of male erotic photography.
He worked during the sexual revolution and the era of drug discoveries. At the time his work was scandalous and provocative, given that he was a man and photographed naked men. And yet the public loved him and recognised him while he was still alive!
At his exhibitions, flowers and phalluses were shown together. I'm sure his photos, and this way of illustrating the aesthetics of the penis, influenced how many viewers see things, and our culture today. Now we know and see that the penis, and the male body in general, is graceful and beautiful!
I think his work is about the aesthetics of bodies, of physicality. Of course there's eroticism in the photos – the bodies are naked, after all – but that's not the main message.
One of Robert's most famous quotes: 'A man's penis and, say, a flower are equally graceful. There are people who can't accept that. For me it's obvious…'"
Google his work and see it without Instagram's censorship.
