Robert Mapplethorpe's controversial photos arrive in Korea Posted : 2021-03-02 17:39 Updated : 2021-03-05 17:56 Installation view of Robert Mapplethorpe retrospective "More Life" at Kukje Gallery in central Seoul / Courtesy of Kukje Gallery By Kwon Mee-yoo "Art is an accurate statement of the time in which it is made," said American photographer Robert Mapplethorpe (1946-1989). Now the world seen by Mapplethorpe some 40 years ago will get a chance to resonate with Korean audiences half a world away. Best known for his black-and-white photographs of celebrities, sculptural nudes, BDSM scenes and flowers, Mapplethorpe is being introduced to Korean audiences belatedly through a retrospective at the Kukje Gallery in Seoul and Busan.