60+ Robert Mapplethorpe Quotes On Art, Friendship And Death

Robert Mapplethorpe was an American photographer known for his provocative and sometimes controversial black and white portraits, still lifes, and nudes. His work explored the boundaries of artistic expression, and often featured homoerotic subject matter. He was a major figure in the New York art scene of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Following is our collection on famous quotes by Robert Mapplethorpe on love, art, life.

Top 10 Robert Mapplethorpe Quotes

1. To make pictures big is to make them more powerful.
2. Sell the public flowers... things that they can hang on their walls without being uptight.
3. I am selfish, but that's an attribute that all artists possess.
4. Beauty and the devil are the same thing.
5. If I am at a party, I want to be at the party. Too many photographers use the camera to avoid participating in things. They become professional observers.
6. When I work, and in my art, I hold hands with God.
7. The more pictures you see, the better you are as a photographer.
8. I went into photography because it seemed like the perfect vehicle for commenting on the madness of today's existence.
9. If a day goes by without my doing something related to photography, it's as though I've neglected something essential to my existence, as though I had forgotten to wake up.
10. I come from suburban America. It was a very safe environment and it was a good place to come from in that it was a good place to leave.

Robert Mapplethorpe Short Quotes

• I don't believe in dogmas and theologies. I just believe in being a good person.
• Whether it's an orgy or a cocktail party, I know how to do it.
• My lifestyle is bizarre, but the only thing you need to know is where the darkroom is.
• I don't use recreational drugs, except for cocaine, hallucinogens, and nitrates.
• My father wants me to be like my brother, but I can't be.
• I just want to be written about as a normal artist.
• I'm not photographing anything naked these days. I haven't been concentrating on bodies recently.
• I don't think any collector knows his true motivation.
• This AIDS stuff is pretty scary. I hope I don't get it.
• I can't have just anybody assisting me, I need somebody who I can really communicate with.

Robert Mapplethorpe Quotes About Art

I see things like they've never been seen before. Art is an accurate statement of the time in which it is made. — Robert Mapplethorpe

One must ease the public into it - that's an art in itself. — Robert Mapplethorpe

When I create art, it's like holding hands with God. — Robert Mapplethorpe

The photographs that are art have to be separated from the rest - then preserved. — Robert Mapplethorpe

Robert Mapplethorpe Quotes About Life

I just try to live my life and do my thing. — Robert Mapplethorpe

I've never lied. I think I've lived a moral life. — Robert Mapplethorpe

You're never going to get anywhere in life if you don't live up to your obligations. — Robert Mapplethorpe

Robert Mapplethorpe Quotes About People

Whenever you make love to someone, there should be three people involved - you, the other person, and the devil. — Robert Mapplethorpe

I always thought I was good. That's why it was so frustrating when other people didn't agree. — Robert Mapplethorpe

I became the toast of London. A lot of people I met came from these really decadent families where the married men were gay and no one thought anything about it. — Robert Mapplethorpe

People have done pornographic pictures forever, but most of the people who involve themselves in explicit sexuality aren't really artists. — Robert Mapplethorpe

People don't have time to wait for somebody to paint their portraits anymore. The money is in photography. — Robert Mapplethorpe

Robert Mapplethorpe Quotes About Pictures

The best picture I got was Bianca Jagger whispering in Mick's ear. I caught them telling a secret, which is sort of rude. — Robert Mapplethorpe

I don't know why my pictures come out looking so good. I just don't get it. — Robert Mapplethorpe

I don't like that particular word 'shocking.' I'm looking for the unexpected. I'm looking for things I've never seen before … I was in a position to take those pictures. I felt an obligation to do them. — Robert Mapplethorpe

Robert Mapplethorpe Quotes About Photography

I think that it was a great advantage to go into photography not knowing much about it. Not thinking. I think one of the problems with many photographers today is that they never see for themselves, but just like everybody else. — Robert Mapplethorpe

With photography, you zero in; you put a lot of energy into short moments, and then you go on to the next thing. — Robert Mapplethorpe

I was a Catholic boy, I went to church every Sunday. A church has a certain magic and mystery for a child. It still shows in how I arrange things. It's always little altars. — Robert Mapplethorpe

I never liked photography. Not for the sake of photography. I like the object. I like the photographs when you hold them in your hand. — Robert Mapplethorpe

If I had been born one or two hundred years ago, I might have been a sculptor, but photography is a very quick way to see, to make sculpture. — Robert Mapplethorpe

Robert Mapplethorpe Famous Quotes And Sayings

I would never have done what I'd done if I'd considered my father as somebody I wanted to please. — Robert Mapplethorpe

I'm looking for the unexpected. I'm looking for things I've never seen before. — Robert Mapplethorpe

I don't think that there's that much difference between a photograph of a fist up someone's ass and a photograph of carnations in a bowl. — Robert Mapplethorpe

I recorded that because it happened to me. I wasn't making a point. — Robert Mapplethorpe

I stand naked when I draw. God holds my hand and we sing together. — Robert Mapplethorpe

If I have to change my lifestyle, I don't want to live. — Robert Mapplethorpe

My theory about creativity is that the more money one has, the more creative one can be. — Robert Mapplethorpe

I'm not a photojournalist. — Robert Mapplethorpe

I wish I could be elegant. — Robert Mapplethorpe

I want to see something I've never seen before. — Robert Mapplethorpe

I just hope I can live long enough to see the fame. — Robert Mapplethorpe

When I have sex with someone I forget who I am. For a minute I even forget I'm human. It's the same thing when I'm behind a camera. I forget I exist. — Robert Mapplethorpe

I should try to get some sleep as one doesn't know what tomorrow may bring. — Robert Mapplethorpe

Just because I was out at the bars all the time didn't mean I wasn't looking for someone to love. — Robert Mapplethorpe

When I’m behind a camera I forget I exist. — Robert Mapplethorpe

I am obsessed with beauty. I want everything to be perfect, and of course it isn't. And that's a tough place to be because you're never satisfied. — Robert Mapplethorpe

I like to look at pictures, all kinds. And all those things you absorb come out subconsciously one way or another. You'll be taking photographs and suddenly know that you have resources from having looked at a lot of them before. There is no way you can avoid this. But this kind of subconscious influence is good, and it certainly can work for one. In fact, the more pictures you see, the better you are as a photographer. — Robert Mapplethorpe

Happiness? No, it's not there for me. — Robert Mapplethorpe

My work is about seeing - seeing things like they haven't been seen before. — Robert Mapplethorpe

I played around with the flowers and the lighting, so that was a good way to educate myself. — Robert Mapplethorpe

Life Lessons by Robert Mapplethorpe

1. Robert Mapplethorpe's work is a testament to the importance of pushing boundaries and challenging conventions. His photographs often explored controversial topics such as sexuality, identity, and religion, and his work continues to inspire people to think critically and express themselves freely.
2. Robert Mapplethorpe's photographs are a reminder of the power of art to provoke thought, challenge norms, and create meaningful dialogue. His willingness to explore difficult topics and confront society's taboos has made his work both iconic and timeless.
3. Robert Mapplethorpe's work demonstrates the value of taking risks and being unafraid to explore difficult topics. His photographs are a reminder that art can be used to challenge the status quo and to inspire meaningful conversations about important issues.