Mapplethorpe and Metzker at The Getty Center

Calla Lily, Robert Mapplethorpe, negative 1988; print 1990.

                The exhibition at The Getty Center, In Focus: Robert Mapplethorpe, consists of gorgeous black-and-white photographs that show his explorations of “…statuesque male models fused a classical sensibility with homoerotic content at a time when the male nude was not a popular subject among camera artists” (http://www.getty.edu). Mapplethorpe’s photographs focused on sexuality, gender, and race. His fascination with African American male models which he personally referred to their skin color as bronze was Mapplethorpe’s favored subject matter.

Patti Smith, Robert Mapplethorpe, negative 1975; print 1995.

               The space, in which Mapplethorpe’s exhibition is housed, is small, simple, and contemporary. The lighting is neither too dim nor too bright. Each photograph is hung on the white walls and there is a small wall in the middle of the room, which makes the visitor walk around it, to study the photographs. There is a sense of intimacy as one enters the space. Each photograph is intriguing in its own right; such as the portrait of Patti Smith titled “American”. The Bohemian poet and performer is dressed in a white buttoned up shirt, suspenders, slacks, and a man’s jacket slung casually over her shoulder. Smith is androgynously alluring; her hair is unruly, she wears no make up, and her gaze is challenging. Mapplethorpe wanted to portray Smith as a rebel against the expected image of a female rock star. Smith is masculine and strong, yet waifish and delicate. She touches the ribbon around her neck, her long fingers grazing her breast. The photograph hovers between strength and vulnerability. Mapplethorpe made Smith look sexy without selling her sex. Mapplethorpe and Smith made this image for her debut rock album titled “Horses”.  There was worry among Smith’s executive producers, when this photograph was presented to them. They were concerned that “…Smith with her lack of makeup and messy hair wasn't conventionally pretty enough to sell records like other "girl singers," wanted to airbrush this image” (http://www.getty.edu). However, with Mapplethorpe’s support and Smith’s refusal for airbrushing, the photograph helped launched the iconoclastic careers of both.

            Whether it’s Mapplethorpe’s fashion or fine art photography, he always focused on the tension between opposites. His photograph titled “Calla Lily” has a spare composition, the calla lily’s milky white is luminescent, and the black is slick like silk. Mapplethorpe wanted to display a common item in an unusual way. The curve of the calla lily and the opposition of pure white with inky black, forces the viewer to focus purely on shape and lighting, without the distraction of the subject matter. Still life has long been considered stale, but Mapplethorpe transformed a calla lily into an energized organism, that could be interpreted as sexual, as well. “My whole point is to transcend the subject...go beyond the subject somehow, so that the composition, the lighting, all around, reaches a certain point of perfection” (Robert Mapplethorpe, http://www.getty.edu/art/gettyguide/artObjectDetails?artobj=329128).

            Mapplethorpe died at the age of forty-two from complications of AIDS. He left a profound mark in the photography world. A year earlier before he died, Mapplethorpe established art programs and HIV/AIDS prevention and care. His photography not only portrayed a lifestyle he was involved in, but the blurring of the lines between sexuality and race.

Chicago, negative 1958, print 1985, Ray K. Metzker, gelatin silver print.

             Just several feet away from Mapplethorpe’s exhibition, one can view stunning black-and-white prints by photographer Ray K. Metzker. While walking through the exhibit, one finds themselves journeying with Metzker, to places such as Chicago, Philadelphia, Atlantic City, New Mexico, and across the pond to Europe. Metzker’s exhibition is an adventure through Metzker’s photographs. He focused on the loneliness and isolation many people experience in a chaotic city. Metzker’s exhibition is in a larger and more spacious area, than Mapplethorpe’s exhibition. While Mapplethorpe’s exhibition is meant to create an atmosphere of intimacy among the visitors, Metzker’s exhibition is like walking through a small city. The ceilings are high and conversations among visitors echo through the cavernous space. Visitors weren’t forced to stand too close to one another to study the photographs. There was no potential for spontaneous conversation or physical contact between two strangers. Metzker’s exhibition is arranged according to each city he visited and took photos of.

            Metzker uses selective focus, lighting, and unique angles, to narrate stories each city has to tell. His photographs are described as “Metzker's devotion to photographic seeing as a process of discovery is also deeply humanistic in its illumination of isolation and vulnerability” (http://www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/metzker/). His gelatin silver print titled “Chicago” shows a close up of a discarded used pieced of cardboard on the street. Metzker took the photograph from the ground up to show the tall imposing buildings. In the distance there are two women crossing the street, but they are not in focus. The subject matter of this photograph is the piece of cardboard, which is forgotten and desolate. It conveys the feeling of being disconnected even in a big city full of people. No one acknowledges the piece of trash on the street. No one cares. It is a photograph expressing loneliness and abandonment in an urban jungle.

Frankfurt, 1961, Ray K. Metzker, gelatin silver print.

           Another photo by Metzker that captured my attention in particular, is the one titled “Frankfurt”. The composition is clean and simple. The subject matter is a man in a boat holding a paddle. He is seen from an aerial perspective. His boat is white and contrasts with the black that surrounds him. One cannot see his face and he seems insignificant. The black seems press against his boat, creating a sharp and crisp outline, which makes the viewer focus on the shape that is created. The man is his own island, possibly stranded, even. There is no action between the man and the black water. He simply sits in his boat, still, and accepting his fate. It is another story of loneliness.Metzker used his photography to explore modern life and the loneliness that accompanies it. Mapplethorpe’s photographs challenged sexuality, interracial couples, and gender issues. The only thing that Metzker and Mapplethorpe share in their photography is their study of relationships formed among a society dominated by a formulated aesthetic.

          In Focus: Robert Mapplethorpe will be at The Getty Center until March 24, 2013 and The Photographs of Ray K. Metzker and The Institute of Design will be there until February 24, 2013. Photographers and fans of photography should not miss the opportunity to view these superb photographs in person.