Sex / Madonna & Steven Meisel, 1992

Description

Sex is a 1992 coffee-table book by American singer and pop icon Madonna, combining erotic imagery with narrative and cultural commentary. Released at the height of her global fame, the book courted controversy for its explicit photographs and frank exploration of sexual expression.

Key facts

• Author: Madonna

• Photographer: Steven Meisel

• Publisher: Warner Books

• Release year: 1992

• Format: Metal-bound, spiral book with included CD single “Erotic”

Concept and content

Conceived as a provocative art object, Sex features over 100 photographs shot by Meisel, depicting Madonna and various collaborators in stylized sexual scenarios. The imagery merges fantasy, fetishism, and celebrity performance, while the accompanying text—written in the persona “Mistress Dita”—offers reflections on desire, identity, and power. The book’s metal cover and sealed Mylar packaging were designed to heighten its aura of forbidden luxury.

Reception and controversy

Upon release, Sex drew global media attention and intense backlash from conservative groups for its explicit content. Critics debated whether it was a work of art or calculated shock marketing. Despite—or because of—the controversy, it sold out its first edition of 1.5 million copies worldwide within days, becoming one of the best-selling coffee-table books in history.

Cultural impact

Sex is now regarded as a landmark in the intersection of pop music, visual art, and sexual politics. It challenged taboos around female sexual agency and celebrity self-representation, influencing later generations of artists. While initially polarizing, the book has since been reevaluated as an audacious statement on erotic freedom and media spectacle in the early 1990s.