Mapplethorpe's flowers are often arranged with great precision, each petal and curve considered with the eye of a sculptor. In these works, he elevates the flower to the status of a work of art, casting it in the role of both object and subject. Flowers are often seen as symbols of beauty, fragility, and temporality, and Mapplethorpe's photographs capture these themes while exploring the tension between nature’s fleetingness and the artist's ability to immortalize it in black and white. The flowers, often photographed in extreme close-up, become almost abstract, with their intricate details—the veins, the folds, the light reflecting off their delicate surfaces—emphasized to the point where they transcend their natural origins and become something more profound, more eternal.

The choice to photograph flowers in black and white rather than color was also a deliberate decision on Mapplethorpe's part. By removing the distraction of color, he allowed the viewer to focus more intently on the shape, texture, and form of the flower. The sharp contrasts between light and shadow, the play of lines and curves, and the tonal richness of the black-and-white palette created a sense of depth and structure that rendered the flowers almost sculptural in nature. Whether it was the curving elegance of a lily or the delicate petals of an orchid, Mapplethorpe’s flowers seemed to exist not just in the realm of the visual, but in the emotional and intellectual as well.

In these works, Mapplethorpe brought the same precision and artistry to his floral subjects as he did to his portraits and nude studies.

The flowers are both sensual and austere, delicate and bold, creating a complex interplay between beauty and fragility. In some ways, they serve as a mirror to the human body, with their curves, lines, and textures suggesting the same sensuality and grace that characterize much of his other work. As Mapplethorpe himself explained, his goal was to "make things beautiful"—and through his flowers, he certainly succeeded, using his camera to capture the timeless elegance of nature in all its forms.