Robert Mapplethorpe
in ‘Queer Lens: A History of Photography’, The Getty, Los Angeles
17 July – 28 September 2025
Robert Mapplethorpe is included in ‘Queer Lens’, an exhibition which traces queer history through the medium of photography, from the mid-19th century to present day. Through the work of artists including Fred Spalding, Any Warhol, and David LaChapelle, the exhibition explores how photography has served as a powerful tool for examining concepts of gender, sexuality, and self-expression. The immediacy and accessibility of the medium has played a transformative role in the gradual proliferation of homosocial, homoerotic, and homosexual imagery. Despite periods of severe homophobia, when many photographs depicting queer life were suppressed or destroyed, this exhibition brings together a variety of evidence to explore the medium’s profound role in shaping and affirming the vibrant tapestry of the LGBTQ+ community