Robert Mapplethorpe: XYZ

Robert Mapplethorpe photos called XYZ are at LACMA.  His controversial photos are a mixed of three themes:  Homosexual sadomasochistic imagery (X); floral still lifes (Y); and nude portraits of African-American men (Z).  They were published in 1978 and 1981.  He died of AIDS related illnesses in 1989.  The exhibit provoked strong reactions, called the Culture Wars.  "This exhibition is an opportunity to assess Mapplethorpe's confrontational photographs" writes the museum materials.  Also written on the wall outside the exhibit is the following:  "Where do you draw the line?  Are these the kinds of pictures that should be permitted in a museum?"  "Mapplethorpe's work is an art that challenges existing norms but we are used to that in the history of art."