Black White & Gray: A Portrait of Sam Wagstaff and Robert Mapplethorpe

Excellent documentary on Maplethorpe, Wagstaff, and a lot on their interesting relationship with Patti Smith. Some interesting stories from many. Thoroughly enjoyed.

Interesting, up to a point.

Well done doc about the rich art collector and curator Sam Wagstaff whose relationship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe has largely been overlooked. The film's handling of his photography collection,now at the Getty, is wonderful, and of course, I love Patti Smith. I lived in NY during part of the time covered, so I have a tiny bit of nostalgia.

great Insight on Sam Wagstaff & Mapplethorpe. Loved it. Loved Patty Smith.

Really more about Sam Wagstaff then anything else... I didn't know him at all, so I found it interesting. But the title is a bit misleading in a way.

I was very excited to watch this documentary, but unfortunately, I almost hated it. It wore me out, it focused on the wrong aspects of things, it's unnecessarily long and for someone who isn't familiar with either one of the two people this movie deals with, then this film doesn't do such a great job in delivering their greatness to the audience. However, this is the documentary where everyone should begin in order to learn more about Wagstaff and Mapplethorpe. Sam Wagstaff contributed in the reinvention of several art forms and Robert Mapplethorpe literally revived the black-and-white photography. Both men died of AIDS, Wagstaff in 1987 and his lover, Mapplethorpe, in 1989 -in a period when AIDS "killed" hundreds of mythic men.

super interesting. i couldn't love patti smith more, but she got some messed up teeth. i hadn't realized.

a bio of sam wagstaff - art collector, proponent of photographic art and new york scenester in the 70s and early 80s - and his relationship and influence on his lover, the photographer robert mapplethorpe. for fans of mapplethrope, it is an informative piece because it relates how intregal wagstaff was to mapplethorpe's success and legacy. any longer and it would've been too much.

An interesting film--one that sheds light on the complex life of Sam Wagstaff and Robert Mapplethorpe. I really enjoyed seeing many of the photographs Wagstaff collected through his love of what is now known as vernacular photography. He really was a true visionary in that regard, and surely thanks to him many of them are around today. It was interesting how negatively Mapplethorpe was cast in this doc--would be interesting to know if it was biased in that regard or not. How sad to see all the great artists lost to AIDS and how devastating it was to the artistic community.

Very touching AND intresting movie about the Art world and the encounters that change our lifes. The narration is perfect though the movie itself could have been more intresting visually. However, for every Art lover it is a must-see doc.