EDITORIAL
In 2007, my dad gifted me a Robert Mapplethorpe portfolio. To say the images on the pages were inspiring would be an understatement—my perspective of the world shifted. For most, giving your fifteen-year-old daughter a book where the male physique is explicitly displayed might seem odd or inappropriate. But dad knew me well enough to realize the provocative photos would serve as an invitation to reimagine the meaning of art. He trusted a gut feeling that suggested Mapplethorpe’s art would remind a young aspiring photographer to avoid placing boundaries on how she viewed the world through her lens. Because my dad purchased a $5 book at a garage sale, I now have a sizable portfolio of work I get to share with the world. One that makes me proud to say, I did that—WE did that. Thanks, Dad!
words inspired by me - written by Billy Perkins
