Between 1963 and 1969, Robert Mapplethorpe attended Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, where he began his studies in advertising and design and acquired skills that would serve him throughout his career. In 1966 he transferred into the department of Graphic Art and Design, where he took up fine art. Mapplethorpe's early work expresses his interest in the classical Renaissance; occult and magic; and the 20th-century avant-garde.

Untitled, Robert Mapplethorpe, ca. late 1960s. The Getty Research Institute, 2011.M.20.181. © Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation. Gift of the Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation

The archive contains an extensive collection of Mapplethorpe's earliest work. This example showcases his abilities in multiple mediums: graphic design, drawing, collage, and ultimately assemblage, as seen by a metal spinning arrow applied to the middle of a heart.

Untitled, Robert Mapplethorpe, 1968. The Getty Research Institute, 2011.M.20.3. © Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation. Gift of the Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation

Fascinated by found material, Mapplethorpe produced his first photo-based works by appropriating vintage photographs and magazine tear sheets to serve as his canvases for creating new works. These altered images illustrate Mapplethorpe's acute sense of color and graphic design.

Untitled, Robert Mapplethorpe, ca. 1965–73. The Getty Research Institute, 2011.M.20.284. © Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation. Gift of the Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation

Aseries of painted illustrations revisits Mapplethorpe's education in advertising.

Untitled, Robert Mapplethorpe, ca. 1970. The Getty Research Institute, 2011.M.20.226. © Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation. Gift of the Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation

Wearing pieces of the jewelry he was making at the time, Mapplethorpe sits in his loft on a bed that he turned into an installation using metal bars, mirrors, and netted fabric. Early on Mapplethorpe was recognized as a force among the artists and luminaries he befriended, such as photographer Maurice Hogenboom.

Portrait of Robert Mapplethorpe wearing his necklaces, Maurice Hogenboom, photographer, ca. early 1970s. The Getty Research Institute, 2011.M.20.384. Gift of the Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation

Throughout his career Mapplethorpe explored the function of framing. This work is one in a series of various colored underwear wrapped around frames meant for stretching painters' canvases, and speaks to art and multiples; commerce; and sexuality.

Untitled, (Blue Underwear), Robert Mapplethorpe, 1970. The Getty Research Institute, 2011.M.20.14. © Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation. Gift of the Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation

Mapplethorpe used one of his Polaroid prints as the source for this painting, adding photo mounts at the corners to reinforce the photographic reference. The "X" in the lower left corner was a Mapplethorpe signature.

Untitled, (Baby/Jay Johnson), Robert Mapplethorpe, 1972. The Getty Research Institute, 2011.M.20.225. © Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation. Gift of the Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation

Even after he began taking photographs, Mapplethorpe continued to manipulate his prints through alteration. The breadth of his experimentation is fully recognized in the artworks held in the archive.

David Croland, Robert Mapplethorpe, early 1970s. The Getty Research Institute, 2011.M.20.279. © Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation. Gift of the Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation

In this work the emulsion from a Polaroid print of Patti Smith was peeled from its base and adhered to a piece of paper. Smith's signature is at the top.

Patti Smith, Robert Mapplethorpe, 1972. The Getty Research Institute, 2011.M.20.36. © Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation. Gift of the Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation

For the announcement card of his first solo exhibition, Mapplethorpe made hundreds of prints from an original Polaroid negative. Utilizing the accompanying protective sleeve from a Polaroid print, a cunningly applied dot sticker, and the artist's name embossed along the border, the card itself is a work of art.

Invitation to Light Gallery opening, Robert Mapplethorpe, 1973. The Getty Research Institute, 2011.M.20.21. © Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation. Gift of the Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation

Mapplethorpe maintained a wide circle of friends and lovers that crossed classes and social networks. The archive reveals the artist's confident movement and interaction among these strata.

Sam Wagstaff, Robert Mapplethorpe, ca. 1972. The Getty Research Institute, 2011.M.20.54. © Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation. Gift of the Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation

One of Mapplethorpe's many gifts was an ability to put his subjects at ease, a trait that is a trademark of his portraits.

Candy Darling, Robert Mapplethorpe, 1972. The Getty Research Institute, 2011.M.20.56. © Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation. Gift of the Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation

The collection provides insight into Mapplethorpe's relationships with fellow artists and celebrities.

Untitled, (Judy Linn), Robert Mapplethorpe, ca. 1973–75. The Getty Research Institute, 2011.M.20.92. © Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation. Gift of the Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation

Lynn Davis and Robert Mapplethorpe together developed Trade Off, a project in which the artists photographed the same subjects and exhibited the outcomes at the International Center of Photography in New York City.

Untitled, (Robert Mapplethorpe), Lynn Davis, ca. 1979. The Getty Research Institute, 2011.M.20.402. Gift of the Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation

In the 1980s Mapplethorpe returned to his decade-old interest in three-dimensional nonphotographic work. He designed furniture and sculpture with kitsch sensibilities and references to his Catholic upbringing, revealing an ever-increasing breadth of curiosity.

Blue Cross, Robert Mapplethorpe, 1983. The Getty Research Institute, 2011.M.20.9. © Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation. Gift of the Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation