Mapplethorpe, MAY puhl thawrp, Robert (1946-1989), an American photographer, became famous for his artistic black-and-white portraits and still lifes. Many of his pictures show everyday objects in beautifully arranged compositions. Mapplethorpe became a center of controversy for photographing subject matter that some people found obscene or offensive. He created many sexually explicit photographs of nude males and females, and occasionally children. Outcry against Mapplethorpe's subject matter led at least one museum to cancel an exhibition of his work after his death.