Documentary 'Look at the Picture' Explores Robert Mapplethorpe's Life and Controversial Art

World of Wonder, the Hollywood production company behind RuPaul's Drag Race and Party Monster, premiered a new documentary titled 'Mapplethorpe: Look at the Picture' at the Sundance Film Festival. Directed by Randy Barbato and Fenton Bailey, the film chronicles the life of New York photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, who died of HIV/AIDS in 1989 at age 42. The documentary uses a group exhibition at LACMA as a narrative device to trace Mapplethorpe's career chronologically, from his early relationship with Patti Smith at the Chelsea Hotel to his embrace of the BDSM subculture and his rise to fame. The film opens with a long shot of his famous self-portrait with a whip from the Portfolio X series. Barbato and Bailey chose a celebratory approach, avoiding deep exploration of the controversies surrounding Mapplethorpe's work, including the congressional backlash after his exhibition at the Corcoran Gallery of Art and the obscenity charges against Dennis Barrie, director of the Cincinnati Contemporary Arts Center, for displaying seven sadomasochistic portraits. The US theatrical release is scheduled for April 22; Italian distribution remains unconfirmed.