Mapplethorpe’s Magnificent Moment
David Hershkovits, Paper
February 2016
When Mapplethorpe died in 1989 at the age of 42, I wrote a piece reflecting on his life. We had met 8 years earlier when the up-and-coming artist was known primarily for the iconic photo he took of Patti Smith for her album Horses. An eye-catching poster — a self-portrait of the artist in front of a pentangle brandishing a machine gun — was plastered all over Soho and the message was clear: Watch out, here I come. […]