The Nude/The Body

Patti Smith by Robert Mapplethorpe 1976.

Robert Mapplethorpe was in a relationship with Patti Smith, and even after he realised he was gay, they still maintained a close relationship creating art together. This nude of Patti Smith, taken in 1976 is considered post-modern, due to the era it was taken in, and also because the androgynous style in which she is portrayed contrasts with more traditional 'soft' and innocent portrayals of women. Her pose seems quite vulnerable, almost being in the fetal position - hunched over with her legs brought into her chest, covering her genitals, and the fact that you can see her bones on her back also create a sense of delicacy. Also the way she holds onto the poles shows a sense of vulnerability as she seems to be tightly holding onto them, as if they are keeping her safe, or in that pose. However the expression on her face contrasts with this; she has a direct gaze at the camera, almost mimicking a brutal and simplistic style of portraiture such as a passport photograph or a mugshot. She is aware the photographer is there (opposite to nudes where there is a feeling the woman is being looked at whilst unaware) ,which creates an intimacy to the image. The fact that she had a close relationship with Mapplethorpe means that he probably didn't create the image to objectify her in any way. The image seems to be a crossing of genres (again, a post-modern technique) in that it isn't an obvious nude, and the focus is definitely on her face and her intriguing gaze towards the camera, crossing between the portraiture and nude genre. There is also an androgynous theme to the photograph which is fitting with Patti Smith's image - the fact that there is no obvious showing of the genitals along with her expression, takes the attention away from whether this is a nude of a man or woman.
The image was taken on a Polaroid camera, as many of Mapplethorpe's images were during the early 70's. This creates a sculptural feel to the image, the technique of using daylight coming through a window comes from the Dutch style of painting, along with the Rembrandt style lighting on her face.