Art and Sex

In this 'no-holds barred' volume Gray Watson surveys the vast array of images of sex and sexuality in contemporary art. He finds sex in some surprising places and draws some fascinating conclusions. His initial consideration of contemporary art's focus on the body leads to an exploration of the important contributions made by the feminist and queer movements. He uncovers sex in the city, sex in nature, and the intimate relationship between sex and the sacred. Looking into representations of 'taboo' sexualities including sado-masochism, voyeurism and exhibitionism, Watson argues that such images offer clues to an understanding of much more than just sex. The art discussed ranges from the playful to the dark, from the shockingly overt to the poetically allusive, and includes work by artists such as Marina Abramovi, Nobuyoshi Araki, Louise Bourgeois, Gilbert & George, Jeff Koons, and Carolee Schneemann.