3. Robert Mapplethorpe – ‘XYZ’, 1978/81
The American photographer was known for his often controversial large-scale, highly stylised black and white photography. The artist’s work featured an array of subjects, including male and female nudes, self-portraits and still-life images of flowers. His most controversial work is that of the underground bondage and sadomasochistic scene in the late 1960s and early 1970s of New York. The homoeroticism of this work fuelled a national debate over the public funding of controversial artworks. The X, Y, and Z Portfolios were published in 1978, and 1981, provoked strong reactions, notably during that so-called Culture Wars of the 1980s. Mapplethorpe’s often sexually confrontational photographs possessed uninhibited content, these three series defined not only his artistic career but also a moment in American cultural politics.
In 1989, “The Perfect Moment: Robert Mapplethorpe Photographs” exhibition was cancelled at the Corcoran Gallery of Art, in Washington DC, a month before it was supposed to debut in June that year. Homosexuality, sadomasochism, and nude children were included in the imagery. For the late 80’s, this was a groundbreaking exhibit that pushed the boundaries of social norms, but it also enraged conservative lawmakers in DC.
The outraged contingent included congressmen who were in control of the funding of the National Endowment for the Arts, which sponsored the Corcoran Gallery of Art. Corcoran officials said the cancellation of Mapplethorpe’s show was because they did not want to jeopardise the NEA’s congressional funding.