Saint Laurent Rive Droite Exhibits Robert Mapplethorpe Original Works at Locations in Paris and Los Angeles

Saint Laurent design director Anthony Vaccarello pays homage to Mapplethorpe's works with an exclusive exhibition in collaboration with the Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation.

From 17 February to 17 April 2022, a selection of the renowned photographer's original works will be on exhibit at Saint Laurent Rive Droite locations in Paris and Los Angeles.

The displays, courtesy of Thaddaeus Ropac Gallery and Morán Morán Gallery, will include silver gelatin images and still life polaroids, as well as portraits of naked women. Along with the exhibits and licencing agreements with Artestar, Belgian fashion designer Vaccarello has created a unique lifestyle range. 

Bags, apparel, ceramics, cushions, and leather products are included in the limited edition. All lifestyle goods include an artist image and are available for purchase at both locations.

Mapplethorpe is regarded as one of the twentieth century's most significant and innovative painters. His evocative and provocative collection of work is remarkable in its defiance of traditional aesthetic ideals. Along with his then-lover and creative associate Patti Smith, the American photographer established himself as a symbol of an emerging avant-garde movement in underground New York.

Mapplethorpe, who is most known and recognised for his black-and-white images, demonstrated his mastery of forms, light, and shadows. This was expressed via still life settings, naked male and female figures, and portraiture. His works delved into fetishes, gay culture, and the fluid nature of gender, sexuality, and identity. All of this undoubtedly led to various open discussions today, in an era where non-binary inclusiveness and gender fluidity movements are more prevalent than ever.

For Mapplethorpe, photography was a vehicle for freedom and transgression — a means by which he and the world might finally reclaim gender and sexuality. His gradual development of his graphical language reintroduced new perspectives to photography art and brought it to the same level of veneration as sculptures and paintings. This opened the path for future generations, since his legacy lives on via the 1988 foundation he founded to promote his creative vision and institutionalise photography. 

Additionally, the Mapplethorpe Foundation funds HIV/AIDS research, treatment, and education. The visionary artist died of AIDS in March 1989.

Saint Laurent Rive Droite in Paris and Saint Laurent Rive Droite in Los Angeles will feature a unique collection of original Mapplethorpe artworks. Silver gelatin pictures and Polaroids of still lifes, portraits, and naked women will be included in the shows, courtesy of Thaddaeus Ropac Gallery in Paris and Morán Morán Gallery in Los Angeles.

In conjunction with the shows, Anthony Vaccarello collaborated with the Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation to create a one-of-a-kind lifestyle collection, which was licenced by Artestar. 

This one-of-a-kind limited edition collection comprises handbags, leather items, apparel, ceramics, and cushions.

All lifestyle goods include an artist image and are available for purchase at both locations.

'RIVE DROITE' was chosen as a tribute to SAINT LAURENT's rive gauche line, which aided in the democratisation of fashion and luxury in the 1960s. SAINT LAURENT RIVE DROITE is a brand new retail destination for expression, exchange, and lifestyle, showcasing a diverse range of products such as exclusive pieces, limited editions, library, vintage, music, and photography in addition to art, performances, exhibitions, events, and cultural exchanges. The wide and diverse offer from many creative and design sectors is envisioned and embraced in new ways to expand the world and DNA of Saint Laurent, as conceptualised by Creative Director Anthony Vaccarello.

SAINT LAURENT RIVE DROITE embodies an entertaining and stylish interpretation of the Saint Laurent cosmos of today.