A haunting image of flowers, one of Mapplethorpe’s favorite subjects. Through lighting and placement, the artist calls attention to the erect, phallic stamen while the sensuous curves of the stems accentuate the feminine qualities of the flower. This portrait is a coupling of dark and light.

Robert Mapplethorpe (1946-1989) was born in Queens, New York. He is best recognized by his extremely provocative and exciting black and white photographs whose subject matter concentrated on large-scale portraiture as well as nature. He enrolled at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York to study graphic arts, but dropped out in 1969 before earning his full degree. In the 1970's he received his first polaroid camera where he began taking photos of his close circle of friends, acquaintances, as well as socialites and celebrities. Throughout the 1980's he refined his aesthetic concentrating specifically on the male and female nude form, which over the years has drawn scrutinity and tremendous controversy. In 1986, he was diagnosed with AIDS a circumstance which only further energized his quest for challenging commissions and photographic exploration. In 1988, the Whitney Museum of American Art mounted his first major museum retrospective one year prior to his death. His work can be found in collections in North and South America as well as Europe. Today Mapplethorpe's vast and erotic body of work allow him to be remembered as a pivotal 20th century American artist and figure.