“…My whole point is to transcend the subject...Go beyond the subject somehow, so that the composition, the lighting, all around, reaches a certain point of perfection. That’s what I’m doing.”
—Robert MapplethorpeIn 1985, Robert Mapplethorpe (1946-1989) created a series of still lifes featuring fruits and vegetables, of which Eggplant, offered here, is an exquisite example. His signature use of symbolism of the natural world to explore the erotic potential of his imagery is on full display as the solitary eggplant takes centre stage. Although the composition is simple, the dramatic lighting and the casting of angular shadows add intensity to the resulting photograph. The high contrast between light and shadow further emphasises the element of shape and form found in the composition – the rounded curve of the eggplant is beautifully balanced against the bold lines from the shadows.
The platinum-palladium print of Eggplant showcases not only Mapplethorpe’s distinctive visual language but also his preoccupation with the physicality of his photographs. A master printmaker, he chose the more tactile platinum process in this case to explore the medium’s rich tonal range and sensuous textures. The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles; the Princeton University Art Museum, New Jersey; and the Minneapolis Institute of Art hold gelatin silver prints of this image. Appearing at auction for the first time, Eggplant, 1985, encapsulates Mapplethorpe's daring reinvention of the traditional genre of the still life.
