The book reexamines the arc of Mapplethorpe’s photographic work from its beginnings in the early 1970s to the culture wars of the 1990s, and features his most iconic images of portraits, still lifes, and figure studies alongside less-known photographs. It also explores his fascinating early drawings, collages, sculptures, and Polaroid photography; working materials from his archive; rare color photographs; and seldom-seen video works.