Art: A Sex Book [Paperback]

John Waters (Author), Bruce Hainley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 27, 2003

Cult film director John Waters and art critic and curator Bruce Hainley offer a provocative and personal interpretation of the theme of sex and sexuality in art. They have selected a wide range of works, from graphic depictions of the body to abstract images suggesting or inviting different ideas of the erotic, and have arranged them into "rooms" just as in a real exhibition. Andy Warhol, Larry Clark, Richard Kern, Sarah Lucas, Cy Twombly, Lily van der Stokker, Jeff Burton, Karen Kilimnik and Paul McCarthy are just some of the 70 well known artists in the book, which includes paintings, drawings, sculpture, photography and video. The authors talk about their selection in a frank and elucidating conversation, presented in three parts. They consider many of the issues thrown up by the art and discuss - with humour and seriousness alike - how it reflects attitudes towards sex and the body.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

With hits such as Hairspray, Pink Flamingos, Serial Mom and Pecker, John Waters - dubbed by William Burroughs 'the Pope of Trash' - has consistently shocked, outraged and amused film audiences around the world. He is about to start shooting a film about sex addicts. Bruce Hainley is the author of monographs on Christopher Makos and Tom Friedman and is a contributing editor of Artforum.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Thames & Hudson; First edition (October 27, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0500284350
• ISBN-13: 978-0500284353
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 8.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #978,864 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A matter of taste, June 10, 2010

By 

Grumpy Reader "greader" (Spain) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Art: A Sex Book (Paperback)

Taste is, of course, a concept to be ridiculed in the world of John Waters. But because this publication reflects his taste (or deliberate lack of it), the concept is relevant in discussing the book. In Waters' world, sex is dirty (filthy is his preferred term), sneaky, subversive, and/or boring. These are not my evaluations; he states all these things quite clearly, either in his words or films. So if you think art and/or sex(iness) is represented by photos of a woman defecating on the floor, you might be delighted by this book. Or if something as scintillating as a blank sheet of paper strikes you as sexy, this is for you.

But even if the illustrations bore you or turn you off (as many of them do me), you might still find the text--a series of dialogs between Waters and Bruce Hainley--to be of interest. He has some very interesting and worthwile things to say, and should not be totally dismissed by those who have other ideas about art or sex.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant art discourse~, January 12, 2009

By 

Spiderbaby Fastwolf "art fiend culture lover" (chicaga il, usa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Art: A Sex Book (Paperback)

Amazingly informed and intelligent art discussion between two bright, subversive gentlemen; Bruce Hainley, writer, curator and art critic and John Waters, director of such great cult classics as Female Trouble.

Their conversations introduce the reader to wide range of artists working in many different media, many of them well informed by LAs seedy past and gay culture.

For anyone looking for a sharp witty overview of the names to watch in contemporary art, this is incredibly accessible yet never dumbs down its subject.

The only problem? Now I want to collect works by everyone they described...

5 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars trashy fun, July 25, 2005

By 

Batfan "notbattyenough" (sss) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Art: A Sex Book (Paperback)

Though Waters is more celebrated as a film maker, his touch is clearly visible in these intervened photographs. I simply Adored Waters here: without the usual hanky panky the art intelligentsia loads upon us, common folk, his photos are a breath of fresh air in the toilet bowl that is the contemporary art scene.

Salut, roger!