---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: With the death of Robert Mapplethorpe, I…"
description: "\"With the death of Robert Mapplethorpe, I had lost my main collaborator in taking photographs. So I didn't know who to work with.\" — Patti Smith"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e20/patti-smith-394_collaborator_with-the-death-of-robert-mapplethorpe-i_784569.jpg"
---

#  With the death of Robert Mapplethorpe, I had lost my main…

![“With the death of Robert Mapplethorpe, I had lost my main collaborator in taking photographs. So I didn't know who to work with.” quote by Patti Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e20/patti-smith-394_collaborator_with-the-death-of-robert-mapplethorpe-i_784569.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e20/patti-smith-394_collaborator_with-the-death-of-robert-mapplethorpe-i_784569.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e20/patti-smith-394_collaborator_with-the-death-of-robert-mapplethorpe-i_784569.jpg)

> “With the death of Robert Mapplethorpe, I had lost my main collaborator in taking photographs. So I didn't know who to work with.”

[Patti Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-smith/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Loss of a key creative partner leaves uncertainty and a search for new collaboration.

**In simple terms:** Losing a collaborator creates doubt.

Key Takeaway

Seek new perspectives after loss.

Themes

grief collaboration artistic identity

Mood

reflective determined

Type

inspirational candid

When to use this quote

- art studios
- gallery projects
- personal healing

Key Concepts

creative partnership legacy renewal

Questions to Reflect On

- What qualities would you look for in a new partner?
- How can loss inspire new directions?

A Different Perspective

Finding a new collaborator may be challenging.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Collaborators](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/collaborators/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Photography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photography/)

## Related quotes

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> [He found it was as easy to hurl beauty as anything else. (On Robert Mapplethorpe)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-smith/he-found-it-was-as-easy-to-hurl-beauty-as-anything-else-on-robert/)

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> [It got to the point where I started hiding because I didn't want to be photographed. (On living with Robert Mapplethorpe)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-smith/it-got-to-the-point-where-i-started-hiding-because-i-didn-t-want-to/)

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> [It's always different, depending on the writer and the director. A collaborator like Graham Reznick delivers a fully finished piece, perfected in every way.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-fessenden/it-s-always-different-depending-on-the-writer-and-the-director-a/)

[Larry Fessenden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-fessenden/)

> [There's nothing better than having a collaborator that you have a great shorthand with and a great comfort with who's shepherding the project along.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-o-russell/there-s-nothing-better-than-having-a-collaborator-that-you-have-a/)

[David O. Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-o-russell/)

> [The unconscious is our best collaborator.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-nichols/the-unconscious-is-our-best-collaborator/)

[Mike Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-nichols/)

> [The collaborator has to be someone who understands that his role is to help you articulate what you want, but at the same time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-toback/the-collaborator-has-to-be-someone-who-understands-that-his-role-is/)

[James Toback](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-toback/)

> [The audience is your first collaborator with the material. If that makes sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baron-vaughn/the-audience-is-your-first-collaborator-with-the-material-if-that/)

[Baron Vaughn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baron-vaughn/)

> [In our world, it's a big deal when you have a favourite collaborator and share them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelly-furtado/in-our-world-it-s-a-big-deal-when-you-have-a-favourite-collaborator/)

[Nelly Furtado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelly-furtado/)

> [I am a collaborator with everyone who agrees that I need to be in control. I happily collaborate with my loyalists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-harmon/i-am-a-collaborator-with-everyone-who-agrees-that-i-need-to-be-in/)

[Dan Harmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-harmon/)

> [There is no one 'best set-up', there are many - you can get to mate in endless ways. And - don't forget! - in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dumitru-tepeneag/there-is-no-one-best-set-up-there-are-many-you-can-get-to-mate-in/)

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> [James DeMonaco is one of my favorite directors I’ve ever worked with. I think he shoots really well and all that, but the work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-gilford/james-demonaco-is-one-of-my-favorite-directors-i-ve-ever-worked-with/)

[Zach Gilford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-gilford/)

> [The best you can hope for is a great collaborator.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-graham/the-best-you-can-hope-for-is-a-great-collaborator/)

[Lauren Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-graham/)

## More by Patti Smith

> [I had a really happy childhood - my siblings were great, my mother was very fanciful, and I loved to read. But there was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-smith/i-had-a-really-happy-childhood-my-siblings-were-great-my-mother-was/)

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[Patti Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-smith/)

> [ Sometimes \[people\] seem to think I came out of the womb, you know, cursing, with an electric guitar. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-smith/sometimes-people-seem-to-think-i-came-out-of-the-womb-you-know/)

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> [“Inside it he inscribed a few lines of poetry, portraying us as the gypsy and the fool, one creating silence; one listening closely to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-smith/inside-it-he-inscribed-a-few-lines-of-poetry-portraying-us-as-the/)

[Patti Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-smith/)

> [Who can know the heart of youth but youth itself?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-smith/who-can-know-the-heart-of-youth-but-youth-itself/)

[Patti Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-smith/)

> [“I clawed through a thick web of the culture’s consciousness that I hadn’t known existed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-smith/i-clawed-through-a-thick-web-of-the-culture-s-consciousness-that-i/)

[Patti Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-smith/)

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[Patti Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-smith/)

[Explore all 595 Patti Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-smith/)

## More Collaborator quotes

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> [There is no one 'best set-up', there are many - you can get to mate in endless ways. And - don't forget! - in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dumitru-tepeneag/there-is-no-one-best-set-up-there-are-many-you-can-get-to-mate-in/)

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> [I am a collaborator with everyone who agrees that I need to be in control. I happily collaborate with my loyalists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-harmon/i-am-a-collaborator-with-everyone-who-agrees-that-i-need-to-be-in/)

[Dan Harmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-harmon/)

> [The best bit about having a collaborator is plot. Plot is quite hard to get right. It is a testing intellectual exercise that feels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-armstrong/the-best-bit-about-having-a-collaborator-is-plot-plot-is-quite-hard/)

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Browse all 54 Collaborator quotes

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