“Soon after my arrival in NY, I met Robert and Patti at a downtown Manhattan bar. I thought they looked cool and asked them to do a session with me. The authenticity and emotional depth of their love was exactly what I was looking for in my images.”
~ Norman Seeff
"I didn't write it to be cathartic, I wrote it because Robert asked me to… Our relationship was such that I knew what he would want and the quality of what he deserved. So that was my agenda for writing that book. I wrote it to fulfil my vow to him, which was on his deathbed. In finishing, I did feel that I'd fulfilled my promise."
~ Patti Smith
There is a lost New York of the 1960's and 1970's that was home and inspiration for a generation of artists, writers and musicians. It was a loud, vibrant and transformative period. A time of social and cultural upheaval, artistic exploration, economic struggles, and a complex urban landscape that shaped the city's identity for years to come.
Norman Seeff was a part of this moment and the stars aligned when he met Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe in classic "chance" New York meeting. The two great artists agreed to meet Norman for a session. Patti Smith a highly influential American singer-songwriter, poet, and visual artist. She rose to prominence as a key figure in the New York City punk rock scene. Robert Mapplethorpe an influential American photographer known for his provocative and controversial black-and-white images, often exploring themes of sexuality, identity, and the human form.
In 2010, Patti published her memoir, "Just Kids," which won the National Book Award for Nonfiction. The book chronicles her deep and enduring relationship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe and their experiences as struggling artists in New York City during the late 1960s and 1970s. "Just Kids" offers a captivating and intimate portrait of their bohemian lives, their creative pursuits, and the vibrant artistic community of the time. This photograph is everything from her memoir. You feel the personality of each artist, pursuing their dreams and the spirit of an era now long gone. But for me it is centered in the feeling of unapologetic artistic expression expertly captured by Norman Seeff.
