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162

ROBERT MAPPLETHORPE (American, 1946-1989) KEN MOODY signed and dated on image recto

Currency:USD Category:Everything Else / Other Start Price:NA Estimated At:3,000.00 - 4,000.00 USD
ROBERT MAPPLETHORPE (American, 1946-1989) KEN MOODY signed and dated on image recto
ROBERT MAPPLETHORPE (American, 1946-1989) KEN MOODY signed and dated on image recto "Robert Mapplethorpe '84" in black ink unique Polaroid print mounted on aluminum 23 1/2 x 19 1/2 in. (59.7 x 49.5 cm) mount: 27 3/8 x 23 in. (69.5 x 58.4 cm) 1984 PROVENANCE Robert Miller Gallery, NEW YORK Private Collection, CARACAS EXHIBITED PORTUGUESA, Museo De Arte Acarigua-Araure, 5 x 5: 150 AÄNOS DE LA FOTOGRAFÂIA, (traveling to four other venues: Museo de Arte Contemporaneo de Caracas, Ateneo de Valencia, Centro de Bellas Artes de Maracaibo, VENEZUELA, Sala Luis Angel Arango, BOGOTA), 1989-1990 CARACAS, Museo Alejandro Otero, MAPPLETHORPE, September 7-November 7, 1997 Among the numerous black male models that Robert Mapplethorpe photographed in the 1980s, Ken Moody is perhaps the best known. Not only did the artist shoot Moody on several occasions, but he also consistently identified this model by his first and last names. By contrast, many of Mapplethorpe's black male nudes remain anonymous to this day. Moody's impressive and unique physique clearly appealed to Mapplethorpe, who often sought to transform his human subjects into black and white abstractions. The present work depicts Moody's head and shoulders from behind, his arms raised high in the air. Devoid of a facial expression, this symmetrical rear view encourages an abstract appreciation of the human form. By organizing this image around the central axis of Moody's spine, the artist has captured an exquisite balance of illumination and shadow.
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