By the start of 1980, Mapplethorpe had begun to make African American men the primary subjects of his nude studies. Here, as was consistent with his broader practice, Mapplethorpe’s own personal sexual desires infiltrated his practice. Mapplethorpe did not disguise his fascination with the sexual allure of his models, who were selected for their physiques. He was also unapologetic about his interest in the tonal effects of black skin, in effect conflating racial type with purely aesthetic concerns. 
Mapplethorpe’s obsession with the ‘form’ and ‘colour’ of black men has subsequently (and justifiably) invited conversations around the racial objectification of black masculinity. Debates about Mapplethorpe’s racial fetishism still linger today, but writers like Jonathan D. Katz point out that, while problematic, Mapplethorpe’s work always also includes an element of irony and critique, and that Mapplethorpe consistently photographed – and drew attention to – the very stereotypes he sought to challenge.