The anxiety of influence

October 26, 2007 6:31 AM

Sibling rivalry. Meet Edward Mapplethorpe, photographer. Yes, he's related to the other one. They're brothers -- which has actually made things harder for Edward than you might think. In his latest show, just wrapping up at NYC's Foley Gallery, Edward does amazing work using darkroom techniques alone: "The exhibition is composed of unique works solely created in the darkroom without the use of traditional cameras." (This one is my fave from the current show; of his earlier work, I particularly like this one and this one [nsfw].)
posted by GrammarMoses (30 comments total)

Wikipedia. No respect.
posted by stbalbach at 6:37 AM on October 26, 2007

Thanks for that last image, I've been thinking about changing jobs and being frog marched from my office and tossed out on the street is just the impetus I needed!
posted by DU at 6:57 AM on October 26, 2007 [1 favorite]

Thanks for that last image, I've been thinking about changing jobs and being frog marched from my office and tossed out on the street is just the impetus I needed!

Stop surfing the web at work if you don't want to come across "sackable" material. Always be prepared that the next link you click on may have titties. That's my motto.

Never heard of this guy, thanks for the links.
posted by twistedonion at 7:04 AM on October 26, 2007

My favorite sibling rivalry is Bart Kamen, cancer researcher v. Dean Kamen, inventor.
posted by caddis at 7:06 AM on October 26, 2007

So I guess the burst of nipples was intended in a "They're breasts, not tits, and come on people, babies nurse here!" kind of way and, hence, no "NSFW" tag was required... is that it?
posted by Mike D at 7:29 AM on October 26, 2007

So I guess the burst of nipples was intended in a "They're breasts, not tits, and come on people, babies nurse here!" kind of way and, hence, no "NSFW" tag was required... is that it?

That makes sense to me. I mean, what kind of boss is going to fire you for having a .jpg of blurry, artistic black-and-white breasts in your cache? Do these people work in Iran or something?
posted by Avenger at 7:43 AM on October 26, 2007

My favorite sibling rivalry is Bart Kamen, cancer researcher v. Dean Kamen, inventor.

Bah. Both live in the shadow of dad!

Stop surfing the web at work if you don't want to come across "sackable" material. Always be prepared that the next link you click on may have titties. That's my motto.

So...not currently employed, I take it?
posted by kittens for breakfast at 7:43 AM on October 26, 2007

So...not currently employed, I take it?

heh, very much employed thanks.

If your employer has made clear that your computer usage is monitored and teh porn is sackable then you are a bloody fool for not doing as you are told. Your employer would also be a fool for thinking that picture was in any way pornographic.

Thankfully my employer is no fascist and he is certainly no fool.
posted by twistedonion at 7:52 AM on October 26, 2007

Indeed, the only rational response to oppression is to keep your head down and mind your business.

OBEDIENCE IS FREEDOM
posted by DU at 8:07 AM on October 26, 2007

That last link at least really needs a NSFW tag. Despite a bit of blurring and waviness in the image it is still clearly a naked female torso. The NSFW tag is a matter of courtesy, not some abstract argument about what should or should not be grounds for trouble at work.
posted by caddis at 8:09 AM on October 26, 2007

OK, OK, point taken. Sorry. I am immune to Teh PowR of Booooobies, so it didn't occur to me. All apologies.
posted by GrammarMoses at 8:10 AM on October 26, 2007

Mods: please add a NSFW tag to that last image. Then maybe people will talk about the content of the post. Thanks!
posted by GrammarMoses at 8:11 AM on October 26, 2007

back on topic though...

The photos using the hair is very interesting. However, I'm starting to have a bit of internal conflict going on as to whether the process taken to achieve this work is admirable or just a step backwards.

If this work were created with a digital camera and adjusted in photoshop would they still be worthy of our attention?

Is it all down to process (the more convoluted the better?)
posted by twistedonion at 8:12 AM on October 26, 2007

The photos are very interesting rather.
posted by twistedonion at 8:14 AM on October 26, 2007

I'm having a bad grammar day, sorry for polluting the thread.
posted by twistedonion at 8:15 AM on October 26, 2007

Yeah, I have no idea how filthy-dirty that image is because, unsurprisingly, I didn't click on it. (It's a thread that invokes Robert Mapplethorpe, for chrissake!) But if it is at all nipply or what have you, a NSFW tag is pretty much customary. It's not just about not getting fired -- many people don't exactly work in isolation, and may just not want to find themselves on the receiving end of weird looks or jokes from co-workers. It's less an issue of fascism or art-not-pr0n! than one of those basic courtesy/common sense deals.
posted by kittens for breakfast at 8:17 AM on October 26, 2007

Thanks for this - I hadn't heard of Edward before and his almost total subservience to his brother is interesting. It's great that he has finally been able to escape from that influence and show his art.

From this Guardian article, it seems that Edward was hardly alone: "[Robert] Mapplethorpe replaced his family with an entourage of acolytes. Relationships were for him a theatre of power, like the leather-clad scenes of voluntary torment and abasement that he photographed; friends and associates had to be prepared to be used, and occasionally abused.".
posted by patricio at 8:19 AM on October 26, 2007

frog marched from my office and tossed out on the street

for a pair of out of focus, underwater, black and white breasts?

I wonder what would happen to you if you opened one of this guy's photos of people ramming their index fingers up their urethras
posted by matteo at 8:20 AM on October 26, 2007

(this guy's brother's photos)
posted by matteo at 8:21 AM on October 26, 2007

OK, OK, i get it. DUs tone just got on my nerves a bit. All he had to say was "You forgot to put a NSFW tag on that last link GrammarMoses, it could be construed as being porn rather than art."

Suggesting GrammarMoses will get him sacked was just being a smart arse. You want courtesy act courteously yourself.

Oh, and DU... Indeed, the only rational response to oppression is to keep your head down and mind your business.

If you consider work "oppression" then maybe you should be sacked. It would be freeing you from being a slave to the wage, man. If you get paid to do a job voluntarily then you should respect the conditions of your employer. Simple as that.

Moderators. Please delete my comments. I've flagged myself (a first time for everything I guess)
posted by twistedonion at 8:26 AM on October 26, 2007

Thanks, twistedonion.
posted by GrammarMoses at 8:29 AM on October 26, 2007

Swirly photograms? Puh-leeez. Robert is still my favourite.
posted by Reggie Digest at 9:12 AM on October 26, 2007

The article is amazingly good.

"Amazingly" because NY Mag's swollen hipness usually gives me hives, it's a tremendously affectionate portrait of the talented much younger brother and bloody well written.

Now I shall look at the pretty pix.
posted by Jody Tresidder at 9:34 AM on October 26, 2007

The few photograms I've seen thus far haven't moved me the way the elder brother's work did, but the article was fascinating and made me remember the point in time at which Robert's work grew so polished...right when his technically educated younger sibling joined his darkroom staff....
posted by squasha at 9:44 AM on October 26, 2007

Does New York always write AIDS in lowercase ("aids")?
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 9:49 AM on October 26, 2007

Nice work, but disturbingly seems to be more than influenced by the work of Baltimore photographer Connie Imboden. But then again, I suppose everything's derivative. If it's good work, it's good work.
posted by SixteenTons at 11:18 AM on October 26, 2007

Sorry, none of my links worked for some reason in the last comment--go to:
www.connieimboden.com

...and look around.
posted by SixteenTons at 11:20 AM on October 26, 2007

My brother Ben takes all my photos for me.
posted by DaShiv at 12:48 PM on October 26, 2007 [1 favorite]

Mod note: nsfw added, but please be sure to check the FAQ for NSFW and take your bitching to email or METATALK
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 1:30 PM on October 26, 2007

Does New York always write AIDS in lowercase ("aids")?

In the print edition of New York, “AIDS” is probably set in small caps, an effect that’s usually achieved by typing the acronym in lowercase letters and then switching the font over to the small-caps version, for that word only. So when they took the text of the article and put it online, the typeface formatting was lost, and it incorrectly shows “aids” instead of “AIDS” (in small caps).
posted by tepidmonkey at 8:36 PM on October 26, 2007