Before being approached to illustrate Maggie Jones’ thought-provoking 2022 New York Times article “The Joys (and Challenges) of Sex After 70,” acclaimed painter and photographer Marilyn Minter hadn’t contemplated the intricacies of sexual intimacy in old age. “The country has such contempt for old people having sex,” she says, “but as it turns out, people from their 70s to their 90s have never been healthier.” Wanting to challenge that taboo and showcase some of her racier work on this subject that couldn’t be published in the original article, Minter was game when the opportunity to create an expanded series came about.
Drawing inspiration from the profound insights shared in the New York Times article, Minter’s captivating new photography book, Elder Sex (JBE Books), delves deeper into what it truly means to embrace sensuality and lead a sexually fulfilling life as one ages. The photo series, which features a variety of up-close images of men and women in various states of embrace and undress, challenges societal norms and encourages dialogue about embracing our innate sexuality throughout our entire lifespan. “At a certain point, you’re just not performative anymore,” she says. “It’s much more [about saying], ‘This is my body, take it or leave it.’”
Capturing subjects ranging in age from 70 to 90, Minter, 75, was adamant that there be a sense of elegance, intimacy, and class in the photos. Shooting behind glass in her New York studio—a signature technique often incorporated in her work—Minter says she was thinking of a spa-like atmosphere. But unlike in 81-year-old Martha Stewart’s recent Sports Illustrated swimsuit pictorial, Minter’s models aren’t retouched. In fact, she says she sometimes added more wrinkles to the photos because she thought without them, “no one would believe it.” “I didn’t want it to be Playboy,” she says, “or fake looking, you know? If you live long enough, this is your future.” –Niesha Davis
PHOTOGRAPHS FROM ELDER SEX BY MARILYN MINTER, JBE BOOKS & LGDR, 2023
