The Mapplethorpe exhibit, or photographs by Mapplethorpe, contributed to one of the most divisive art exhibitions in modern history. The “X Portfolio” series by photographer Robert Mapplethorpe included candid depictions of sexual acts that some found offensive and pornographic. The inclusion of the Mapplethorpe photographs in a traveling exhibit sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in the United States sparked a national debate about the definition of art and whether public funds should be used for content that is controversial.
Robert Mapplethorpe was born in 1946 and raised on Long Island, New York. He graduated from the Pratt Institute of New York with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. After graduating from college, he focused on photography. Mapplethorpe rose to prominence in the late 1970s and early 1980s, primarily as a result of his celebrity portrait photography. Though flowers, formal portraits, and classic nude photography were among Mapplethorpe’s favorite subjects, he was also fascinated by homoerotic acts and depictions of bondage and sado-masochism.
The NEA funded a touring art exhibition titled “A Perfect Moment” in 1990, shortly after the photographer died of AIDS. A retrospective of the artist’s work was included in the exhibit, which was dubbed the Mapplethorpe Exhibit. The contentious nature of some of Mapplethorpe’s photographs enraged members of Congress, who began lobbying for drastic cuts to the National Endowment for the Arts budget. The NEA canceled the exhibit, which was instead held by the Washington Project for the Arts, out of fear of political retaliation.
The Mapplethorpe exhibit sparked a socio-political debate about the nature of art and whether government-sponsored work should be held to certain standards across the United States. The NEA budget was cut by $45,000 US Dollars (USD), roughly the same amount that was cut from the Mapplethorpe exhibit and a similarly protested exhibition by artist Andres Serrano. In addition, Congress approved a requirement in the NEA grant process that would bar funding for projects deemed to be obscene. Many artists equated this ambiguous amendment to censorship, and some began refusing NEA grants on the grounds that the organization permitted art censorship.
The Mapplethorpe exhibit is still a source of contention in Washington, D.C., and the art world today. While supporters argue that the First Amendment guarantees the right to free speech, critics argue that while artists have that right, it does not guarantee government funding. The Mapplethorpe show also became a focal point in the age-old debate over what constitutes art. While this question has been exhaustively explored in scholarly texts and term papers, it is unlikely to be answered, and it will resurface as long as artists have the freedom to exhibit their work.