Meredith Monk 1985

Editor: This is Robert Mapplethorpe's portrait of Meredith Monk. The stark contrast really grabs you. How do you interpret the power dynamics at play in this image? Curator: Considering Mapplethorpe’s controversial reputation, it’s crucial to ask: How does his gaze, as a male photographer, shape Monk's representation? Does the theatricality of her hair become performative, even subservient, to the artist's vision? Editor: So, it's less about capturing Monk and more about Mapplethorpe's agenda? Curator: Precisely. And how the art world then circulates that framing. Editor: That gives me a lot to think about.