Interview with Edward Mapplethorpe
Image provided by Edward Mapplethorpe. Photograph: © Robert Ascroft. All
rights reserved.
This exclusive interview with photographer Edward Mapplethorpe was
conducted in New York City by Nicola Linza and Cristoffer Neljesjö during
January 2017.
When did the interest in photography start and what inspired you to
become a photographer?
My father had been a photography hobbyist since he was very young so I think a seed was planted in me at a very early age. But it wasn’t until I was in my early teen years that I got really excited about the medium. One of my best friends at the time had a brand new 35mm camera and he worked in a local camera store. As soon as he put that camera in my hand I felt a connection to it and strong desire to want to learn. Eventually I was introduced to the darkroom and it was then that I never thought of doing anything else with my life. The combination of a mechanical devise and a chemistry lab married two very distinct sides of my brain. I always loved math & science and a desire to find a creative voice. For me photography opened that road of discovery.
I think anyone who looks at the past 35 years of my work will see that it is always changing and evolving. For that reason I think it is difficult to tag my work with a particular style. If you look at the celebrity portraits that were taken in 1990 and put them next to the 2011 Variations series I would be hard-pressed to think that anyone could conclude that they were done by the same artist. I think that far too often artists get pigeonholed into a particular style and audiences don't care to see them do something outside of that box. I have seen it happen to artist friends of mine. But with all this said, there is most definitely a story line in my work over the years. Working in this way allows me the freedom to do whatever it is that inspires me at a particular time without feeling the burden of repeating the same theme over and over.
You are well known for your baby portraits, what is the reason behind this particular subject?
Unlike all other projects this concept came to me without any intention to make it into a body of work. After some success doing a few baby portrait commissions, word-of-mouth quickly prompted more and more telephone calls and emails. ONE: Sons & Daughters (powerHouse Books, 2016) was published twenty years after my first portrait of a 12-month old and the subject continues to be very much a part of my practice. The joy these portraits bring to the children’s parents and me is too compelling for me to ever stop.
Was your brother Robert (Mapplethorpe) supportive of your work and did he give you any advice?
Sadly my brother Robert’s advice was that I let go of any dream of being a photographer or artist of any sort. Knowing that it was a similar lack of support that my father had given to him I was confused by his discouragement. I now understand that it is extremely difficult to make a living as an artist so I chose to believe it was out of his love for me and his concern for my future. But the fact of the matter is that Robert didn’t want anyone riding on the crest of his wave. That was never my intention so I think it goes down as a missed understanding between brothers.
How was Sam Wagstaff in person and what are your thoughts of his influence on Robert’s career?
Unfortunately I never really got to know Sam very well. By the time I started to work for Robert in 1982 Sam was not as significant a presence in Robert’s life as he had been in the recent past. They each were in separate relationships by this time and Robert’s career was not as dependent on Sam’s financial and scholarly influence. Of course Sam would come to the studio from time to time to see what Robert latest work but he seemed to me to be kept at a distance most of the time. I think that during these years they saw each other much more in the evening at social events.
The introduction of Sam and Robert in the 1970’s was one of those moments in history when the stars aligned for the betterment of all of those involved. Robert found a mentor; a lover and a patron who would help him forge the artist’s career he so longed for in his lifetime. Sam found the ambitious visionary that he had so wanted to be himself. It was a beautiful honest union that cannot be disputed. Sam, Robert (and Patti Smith) each influenced the other and they helped create lasting legacies.
Being a Mapplethorpe, has it helped or hurt you?
I would never deny my ancestry. I am very proud of my heritage and the name. However, as we are speaking about my professional life the name Mapplethorpe has made my career challenging to say the least. Initially there were some doors opened to me for the simple fact of being Robert’s brother but for good reasons (for me) those opportunities were unsustainable. After my brother’s death in 1989 I was left to fend for myself and build my own reputation. But isn’t that required of anyone choosing to live a creative life?
You are doing a portrait of either God or Satan, whom do you choose and why?
I believe that both good and evil exists in each of us and can honestly say that it is much more enjoyable having good in front of my camera. And it turns-out that those pictures are the successful ones.
The above interview with Edward Mapplethorpe 2017
© Manner of Man Magazine. All rights reserved. Reproduction is strictly
prohibited without written permission from the publisher.
