Companion of Patti Smith, lover of Sam Wagstaff, Robert Mapplethorpe (1946-1989) is an artist with limited reservations. He treats socially delicate subject matter as natural and sophisticated — appropriating taboos with flattering cinematographic aesthetic. His early collages show his interest in conceptual cut-out representations of sexuality and subculture. His collages and photographs expose our morally-imposed stanch limitations and present such beauty, as if this were enough to subvert and convert each one of our barriers to selfhood. “Isn’t it genius?”, Mapplethorpe would ask Smith after creating a particularly stunning set — and as his works continue to ignite our imaginations about sexual expression, Warhol-era NYC, and the Self within, we can all agree with Smith, who always answered him back, “Yes, it’s genius.”