THE NUDE

ROBERT MAPPLETHORPE 

-PATTI SMITH 1976

 To me this photograph defines a alternative look at nude photography, as it is visually much different from famous nude imagery in photography. Most past images seemed to glorify the body, with full frontal compositions that are exposing the form fully to the viewer, an example of this could be Edward Weston's image of Tina Modotti from 1923:

EDWARD WESTON

-TINA MODOTTI 1923

  I feel this type of classic nude expresses more about the artist than the subject within the image, showing how they feel the body is a thing of beauty with the subtle black and white tones and the smooth lines of the female form running through the composition, choosing not to have the model make eye contact with the viewer as they feel the main focus should be seen as the figure.

 However, Mapplethorpe's image of Patti Smith chooses to reject a style that has been seen in many classic images from the past and instead portray the nude in a different style, a style in which I feel is chosen to speak about the subject and photographer as equal.

“Sexuality is not so much a given as a construction in which are reflected other values and relationships; especially in terms of sexual difference, the image of women, and homosexuality”

-Graham Clarke

  I feel that Mapplethorpe's image speaks of his own sexual experimentation and also confusion, shown through the way the subject in his image chooses to hide herself and display very little, a metaphor for the feelings he has of choosing to conceal his sexuality, but also to show the feelings of Patti Smith as she is photographed, how she maybe feels uncomfortable in herself to display herself fully to the camera, so instead decides to awkwardly sit in a small space of a large location, only a small figure in the entire environment trying to cover up what she doesn't want to make public. So rather than objectifying the body, this image to me expresses the personal view of displaying the nude form from both photographer and subject and how we read body language as a nude as well as being given visual metaphor about sexuality.