Projection of a Robert Mapplethorpe self-portrait at the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington DC, 1989. Photo by Carol Guzy/The Washington Post via Getty Images
A new biopic following the life and career of iconic photographer Robert Mapplethorpe is set to hit theatres next March. The film chronicles the photographer’s sexual and artistic deliverance as a young artist in New York City during the 1970s, as well as his profound and enduring friendship with iconic musician, writer and artist, Patti Smith.
Now, the first trailer for the upcoming film has been unveiled.
Directed by Ondi Timoner, the film stars Matt Smith (The Crown, Dr Who) as the famed photographer and tells the story of, “Mapplethorpe’s life from moments before he and Patti Smith moved into the famed Chelsea Hotel, home to a world of bohemian chic. Here, he begins photographing its inhabitants and his newfound circle of friends including artists and musicians, socialites, film stars, and members of the S&M underground. Mapplethorpe’s work displayed eroticism in a way that had never been examined nor displayed before to the public,” states the film’s synopsis.
Throughout his illustrious and celebrated career, Mapplethorpe shot portraits of many of the era’s most iconic figures - Iggy Pop, Debbie Harry, Laurie Anderson, and Patti Smith; but is also known for embracing controversial subject matter, including nude celebrity portraits and his groundbreaking documentation of the BDSM sub-culture emerging in New York’s underground during the late ‘60s and early ‘70s.
“Exploring the intersection of his art, his sexuality and his struggle for mainstream recognition, ‘Mapplethorpe’ offers a nuanced portrait of an artist at the height of his craft and of the self-destructive impulses that threaten to undermine it all.”
Mapplethorpe hits theatres in the US on March 1, 2019, and with any luck, Australian theatres won't be too far behind because here at ILYOS - we simply can’t wait!!!
In the spirit of celebrating cultural revolutionaries, check out our Shake Some Action - Punk & New Wave Classics From the '70s and early '80s playlist and get lost in some of music's pivotal dissenters!
