Steven Meisel - Madonna - SEX - 1992

Bought during release weekend 21/10/92.
All pages and pictures are in great condition.
Cover and back with some minor wear, see pictures.

A shocking collection of nude photographs with a message of love written by Madonna herself and photographed by Steven Meisel, a fashion photographer active in Vogue and other magazines. This is truly a book that will cause a stir in the world of publishing. Includes a special CD with songs selected from the new album "Erotica" and arranged uniquely for this project.

Sex is a 1992 coffee table book written by American entertainer Madonna, with photography by Steven Meisel Studio and Fabien Baron. It was edited by Glenn O'Brien and published by Warner Books, Maverick, and Callaway. The book features adult content including softcore pornography and simulations of sexual acts including sadomasochism.

Madonna developed 'Sex' after Judith Regan of Simon & Schuster publishers suggested a book of erotic photographs. She wrote it as a character named 'Mistress Dita', inspired by 1930s film actress Dita Parlo. It was influenced by punk rock and fashion figures including Guy Bourdin, Helmut Newton, and Robert Mapplethorpe. The photos were shot in early 1992 in New York City and Miami, in locations including hotels, burlesque theaters, and city streets. The book includes cameos by actress Isabella Rossellini, rappers Big Daddy Kane and Vanilla Ice, model Naomi Campbell, gay porn star Joey Stefano, actor Udo Kier, and socialite Tatiana von Fürstenberg. The cover is made of aluminium, spiral bound, and wrapped in a Mylar sheet.

Madonna's publishers were apprehensive about the release and the book's commercial potential. It was released on October 21, 1992, the day after Madonna's fifth studio album Erotica. A CD single with the song 'Erotic' was also packaged with the book. It sold over 150,000 copies on its first day in the United States, and topped the New York Times Best Seller list for three weeks. In a matter of days, Sex went on to sell more than 1.5 million copies worldwide and remains the best and fastest-selling coffee table book. It also remains one of the most in-demand out-of-print publications of all time.

Sex attracted extensive media attention and backlash, but Madonna remains unapologetic. Although it initially received negative reviews from fans and critics, who felt she had 'gone too far,' later reviews have been more positive, with academics considering it a defining phase in Madonna's career. Sex is noted for its social and cultural impact and is regarded as a bold post-feminist work.