Black White + Gray: Portrait of Sam Wagstaff and Robert Mapplethorpe

"My collecting is a private affair, somewhat like a game of idiot's delight. You play it by yourself" - Sam Wagstaff

Sam Wagstaff met Robert Mapplethorpe in 1972, when Mapplethorpe was leaving the loft apartment he shared with Patti Smith near the Chelsea Hotel on 23rd Street. Mapplethorpe was 26-years-old, Wagstaff 51; though appearing complete opposites, they became lovers and formed an intense bond that would last for the rest of their lives.

Mapplethorpe would become one of the most celebrated and controversial artists of his day, while Wagstaff, who'd been an influential art curator and became a moneyed, fanatical collector of photographic art, remained an enigmatic presence, something of a neglected figure today.

James Crump's film is a bold reclamation of Wagstaff's legacy. In telling the story of his fascinating life, transformed through shared passion and experience with Mapplethorpe, it becomes a film about New York, its art world, being gay in the city from the 50s to the 80s, the philosophy of photography and the power (and the art) of the curator.

Photographs from Wagstaff's amazing collection are presented beautifully, and Patti Smith, a committed friend of both men, makes insightful contributions.

Michael Hayden