Please. Please, please. Do not cut out Robert Mapplethorpe's photograph works out of my library book, unknown critic. That says a lot to me as a viewer and shows an uncomfortable, homophobic uncertainty some of the population is still under, unfortunately. They are people, they have bodies, they use them. Get over it, people.
I'm interested, however, if it works in almost in a successful manner. Almost in a Marcel Duchamp-esque manner, it shows an obvious reaction from the viewer, and in return teaches the viewer something about themselves (which in my opinion, really makes art great). A few months back, I read Patti Smith's Just Kids book (which for those who haven't read it, must) and Ms. Smith included the majority of her relationship with Robert Mapplethorpe in it, including the intriguing beginning of his career. Upon discussing his work, he said (and I'm paraphrasing here), "No one's ever done it before (in portraying homosexual S&M a documented art) and at some point somebody has to."
I guess it is just going to be one of social taboos people will take their good and long time to try to readjust to, unfortunately.
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