The Black Book

The Black Book, first published in 1986, is a classic of Mapplethorpe literature, perhaps the best, certainly for many the "most typical" Mapplethorpe (1946-1989). What at that time mainly occupied censorship has now become museum-worthy. More than 30 years after his death, Robert Mapplethorpe's tribute to the black male body is one of the most important visual contributions to the discussion of beauty, sensuality and sexuality in photography.