Some Women

Eighty-five black-and-white photographs of women, mostly famous--actresses, singers, artists, models--constitute this large-format book, which, compared with much of the late photographer's oeuvre, is tame and unambitious. Didion's introduction considers the viewpoints and goals of photographer and subject, discusses Mapplethorpe's use of symmetry and his manner of ``imposing classical form on unthinkable images.'' When Mapplethorpe ( Certain People ) exaggerates the body's sculptural qualities, objectifying his models to an extreme, seen here only in shots of the non-famous, the result is more interesting than the bulk of this portfolio. Included are portraits of such notables as Sonia Braga, Fawn Hall, Grace Jones, Louise Nevelson, Yoko Ono, Isabella Rossellini, Sigourney Weaver. (Oct.)