Mapplethorpe shows the role of clothing in self-realisation. Baby Larry, 1978, is a baby through his actions, caught throwing plastic wrap in the air, as if he had yet to develop full bodily function. He is also a baby through his clothing: an adult-sized quilted romper, with frilled edges, complete with bonnet, bib and an oversized bow at the neck.

Permanent Collections

• Los Angeles County Museum of Art / J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, California

Publications

• Pictures. Robert Mapplethorpe. Edited by Dimitri Levas. Santa Fe, NM: Arena Editions, 1999. Monograph