Mapplethorpe X7: David Hockney, Vik Muniz, Catherine Opie, Sterling Ruby, Cindy Sherman, Hedi Slimane, Robert Wilson: 1 (Photographer) - Hardcover

"With a smattering of leather and studded garb heading into stores this spring, no serious punk revivalist or more modern-day, pared-down follower should be without a copy of Mapplethorpe X7. Published by teNeues, the timely tome features the provocative, iconic imagery of cult photographer Robert Mapplethorpe (on-off lover and lifelong confidant of godmother of punk Patti Smith), as selected by Hedi Slimane, Cindy Sherman, David Hockney, Sterling Ruby, Vik Muniz, Catherine Opie, and Robert Wilson. Each of the seven artists curated an exhibition of Mapplethorpe s work in the years following his death in 1989, and the vivid results have now been bound together for the first time in this largely black-and-white volume. Think of it as a pictorial companion to Smith s National Book Award winning memoir, Just Kids a captivating tale chronicling the creative ascent of two kindred bohemian spirits. Or simply as an alternative means of interpreting the anarchic mood of the sartorial season. Either way, its arresting photographs of New York s virtuosos of the seventies and eighties among them, William Burroughs, Debbie Harry, Andy Warhol, and of course, Smith resonate no less vehemently today, and offer a rare and intimate look at one of the city s most unbridled artistic eras." Vogue"

Robert Mapplethorpe's influence as an artist has grown steadily since his untimely death in 1989. In honor of his work, seven extraordinary contemporary artists--David Hockney, Vik Muniz, Catherine Opie, Sterling Ruby, Cindy Sherman, Hedi Slimane, and Robert Wilson--each in turn reviewed Mapplethorpe's entire body of work over the course of seven years to select those that personally resonated. The result was the groundbreaking series of exhibitions documented in this book, which also features intensive interviews conducted by Richard Flood, noted curator of the New Museum of Contemporary Art (New York). This beautiful and compelling presentation offers bold new insights into Mapplethorpe's genius and his lasting impact on contemporary art.