"I see things like they've never been seen before. Art is an accurate statement of the time in which it is made"

Robert Mapplethorpe’s statement, “I see things like they've never been seen before. Art is an accurate statement of the time in which it is made,” delves into two intertwined ideas about perception and the temporal nature of creative expression. At its core, the phrase suggests that the artist’s vision is unique, refreshed, and unconstrained by conventional interpretations. To see “like they've never been seen before” is to approach subject matter with an original eye, whether through composition, subject choice, or emotional insight. This ability to render the familiar as novel underlines the transformative potential of artistic perspective, reminding us that nothing is ever truly static or exhausted in meaning.

The second part of Mapplethorpe’s statement addresses the historicity embedded in artistic creation. By describing art as an “accurate statement” of its era, he highlights how artistic works serve as profound cultural artifacts, reflecting the attitudes, values, and issues of their time. Even when art aspires to the universal, it is always in dialogue with its contemporary environment, mirroring prevailing social dynamics, technological advancements, moral struggles, and aesthetic ideals. An artwork becomes a lens revealing not only the artist’s personal vision but also the broader context in which it was conceived.

The synergy between these ideas is crucial: an artist’s unique way of seeing is both shaped by and shapes the era in which they live. The novelty that Mapplethorpe describes is possible because it emerges from a specific moment, what may be radical or under-recognized now can, in time, become an emblem of the period’s spirit. Mapplethorpe’s own practice, marked by provocative and innovative representations of beauty and identity, exemplifies the idea that to see anew is also to comment on the immediate world, capturing its essence and projecting it forward for future generations to understand and reinterpret.