... context, and so they have taken on further ambiguity: they are in effect calling attention to the pictures that are hidden from view" (Ashley 1996). It also lets the viewer's subconscious play an important part in the interpretation of the images. This may be why the images can be seen as more shocking than the sexually graphic images, because the viewer ... is forced to draw on their own subconscious for meaning. It is very possible that Mapplethorpe made a conscious decision to place these images in this context; therefore forcing the viewer to deal with their own veiled-erotica. "I t...

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• Grade Level: High School