Robert Mapplethorpe's Interest in Christianity and Altars

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
"Tie Rack" (1969) by Robert Mapplethorpe. Jointly acquired by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and The J. Paul Getty Trust. Not currently on public view
CALIFORNIA---In a historic collaboration, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and The J. Paul Getty Trust jointly acquired "The Tie Rack" by Robert Mapplethorpe. It is a reproduction of a painting of female saint in an artist-constructed frame with two black ties on each side with a metal crucifix suspended from it. This birthday gift for Patti Smith in 1969 is not what we typically associate with Mappelthorpe but it highlights his interest in religion and in creating little "altars." This summer, LACMA presents a major retrospective examining the career of Robert Mapplethorpe.

Los Angeles County Museum of Art: "Robert Mapplethorpe: The Perfect Medium" (Ends July 31, 2016); 5905 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA; (323) 857-6010; lacma.org