SEX

A provocative and highly influential artist book, Sex by Madonna stands as one of the most controversial and culturally defining publications of the 1990s.

Published in 1992, the book merges photography, performance, and pop spectacle into a singular multimedia project. Conceived in collaboration with Fabien Baron, Glenn O’Brien, and photographer Steven Meisel, it deliberately blurs the boundaries between fashion editorial, conceptual imagery, and erotic narrative.

Photographed primarily by Meisel, the work presents Madonna alongside a cast of models and performers in carefully staged scenarios that explore sexuality, identity, fantasy, and power. The imagery oscillates between polished fashion aesthetics and overtly transgressive compositions, reflecting the energy of early 1990s pop culture, nightlife, and queer underground scenes.

The publication’s distinctive spiral binding with stamped aluminium covers reinforces its identity as both object and statement, extending its conceptual framework beyond the printed page. Upon release, Sex sparked global debate around censorship, celebrity authorship, and the limits of mainstream publishing.

Now widely regarded as a landmark of 1990s visual culture, the book remains a highly collectible artifact at the intersection of pop music, fashion, and contemporary photography.

Publisher: Martin Secker & Warburg, London
Year: 1992
Language: English
Format: Spiral-bound with stamped aluminium boards
Dimensions: 35 × 28 cm
Pages: 124 pages
Condition: Very good condition. Light wear consistent with age; interior clean and well-preserved.