When Rodin met Mapplethorpe

MANILA, Philippines - In the exposition “Mapplethorpe-Rodin” at Musée Rodin, Paris, photographer Robert Mapplethorpe’s photos are paired side by side with Auguste Rodin’s sculptures. The two, at first, seem to have little similarity in the process and output of their work. According to the exhibition notes, Mapplethorpe’s perfectionism has little to do with Rodin’s passion.

But as their work is seen side by side, besides the obvious similarities in subject matter (hands, torsos, body forms) and details seen — such as sinewy muscles or immortalizing a moment in time — there is suddenly something else that binds the two together. And that is the light in their art. Rodin’s 3-D forms are allowed to express depth with light, but are not necessarily defined by it; Mapplethorpe’s photographs seem to need to manipulate the light to convey the subject. From the similarity of this feature — the feature of light present in both — a difference between Rodin’s sculpture and Mapplethorpe’s photography also becomes obvious. Many of the sculptures look like an action captured while the photographs look like a moment captured.

This difference is also apparent when comparing Mapplethorpe’s style of photography — the photographs look like a moment very much composed, styled, then captured — next to Rodin’s seemingly more free style. Rodin’s work feels as if there is little artificial composition — not just because of the differences in composition, the way a photograph can be set — and manipulated, or more so with Mapplethorpe’s aforementioned style — but also because of the certain way the sculptures evoke grace. The sculptures are always soft and graceful, like the motion of ballerinas. Even in the pieces with more detail seen in the fluid lines, like a facial expression or hands, Rodin’s work always looks like it’s about to flutter, or just did flutter into view. This emphasizes even more how Mapplethorpe’s work looks very much set and final.

The exhibit aims to show that the two use the same methods, but in different ways. Some of these similar methods are the use of details, such as in Mapplethorpe’s “Feet” and Rodin’s
“Pied Gauche” — where the former’s are instantly seen, while the latter’s leaves something to the imagination — and eroticism. Mapplethorpe’s images are stark, dark and in your face; Rodin’s are mostly graceful and look like they are about to take flight.