The Artistic Legacy of Lloyd Ziff and His Connection to Robert Mapplethorpe and Patti Smith

The Artistic Journey of Lloyd Ziff

Lloyd Ziff was not yet a renowned art director in 1968 when he captured an intimate moment between his art school classmate, Robert Mapplethorpe, and his girlfriend, Patti Smith. The couple was living in a modest Brooklyn apartment, and Mr. Ziff’s lens found them in their youthful splendor. “I found them very beautiful,” Mr. Ziff reflected in later years, highlighting the raw emotion of that time.

The black-and-white portraits he created are not just photographs; they are poignant snapshots of youth, filled with tenderness and a sense of impending transformation. As James Danziger, the gallerist who showcased these images in 2013, noted: “Youth is moving. They capture a moment in time just before Patti and Robert were about to explode into fame. They both carried an aura, and Lloyd was drawn to that energy. They wanted to be photographed just as much as he wanted to photograph them.”

Mr. Ziff’s artistic journey continued as he became the art director for some of the most influential and visually stunning magazines of the 1970s and ’80s. His portfolio includes iconic publications such as Rolling Stone, House & Garden, Vanity Fair, and Condé Nast Traveler. Meanwhile, Mapplethorpe and Smith ascended to their own fame, though it was bittersweet; Mr. Mapplethorpe tragically passed away from AIDS in 1989. In her 2010 memoir, Just Kids, Smith included a few of Mr. Ziff’s evocative portraits, acknowledging the bond they shared during those formative years.

“Although we weren’t particularly close,” Mr. Ziff remarked, “I believe we recognized in each other something we probably couldn’t articulate at the time.” This sentiment reveals the deep connections formed in the vibrant artistic community of that era.

Sadly, Lloyd Ziff passed away on August 1 at his home in Orient Point, N.Y., on Long Island. He was 81 years old. His husband, Stephen Kelemen, confirmed the news, stating that Mr. Ziff had been experiencing declining health in the months leading up to his death.