Robert Mapplethorpe
Opening Friday: In his brief, meteoric career Mapplethorpe (1946-89) managed simultaneously to shock and to enthrall aesthetes of the 1980s. Graphic images from New York's S&M scene lent the shock value, while dramatic lighting, conventionally centered compositions and velvety black-and-white prints provided the arty fig leaf. With assistance from the artist's namesake foundation, Weinstein Gallery is showcasing 25 of his favorite subjects: nudes, flowers and celebrities (Isabella Rossellini, Bill T. Jones). This is a family-friendly selection of which the most titillating moments might be the very pregnant nude torso of "Dovanna," or images of anatomically correct male and female sculptures. The shadowed figure seen here is "Vibert" (1984). The Weinstein show coincides with simultaneous Mapplethorpe exhibits at the Musée Rodin and the Grand Palais, but why fly to Paris when you can catch the sizzle in Minneapolis? (Opening reception 6-8 p.m. Fri. Free. Weinstein Gallery, 908 W. 46th St., Mpls. Ends July 19. 612-822-1722 or www.weinstein-gallery.com)
