Gladstone presents a selection of Robert Mapplethorpe’s iconic images in oversized scale. The exhibition focuses on singular objects—each work presenting a subject set against a stark background. This group of works revisits Mapplethorpe’s distinguished visual language, through some of his most iconic motifs from the late 1970s through the 1980s, including flowers, the human body, and portraiture.
Robert Mapplethorpe (1946–1989) was an American photographer known for meticulously composed black-and-white images charted new territory in the depiction of the body, desire, and identity. Working with medium- and large-format cameras, Mapplethorpe applied a cool, classical rigour to subjects ranging from floral still lifes and sculptural torsos to explicit scenes drawn from New York‘s gay leather and S&M subculture. His work, poised between formal refinement and transgression, became central to the late-20th-century debates around censorship, public funding, and queer visibility.
Gladstone is known for its commitment to artists whose prescient approaches and experimental practices have defined the contours of contemporary art. The gallery has long been an active partner in the cultivation of iconoclastic careers, fostering a roster of artists recognied for their ground-breaking contributions. Headquartered in New York and including outposts in both Brussels and Seoul, Gladstone’s impact extends globally, enabling both the presentation of new bodies of work, and an amplification of the international reach of its artists. Alongside its work with contemporary artists, the gallery is steward to the legacies of pivotal historical artists and serves as an advocate for the enduring power of art. Gladstone is led by a team of partners who spearhead its long-term vision and program, building on the values of its founder Barbara Gladstone.
