Photo series celebrates the beauty of senior intimacy

A stunning new photo collection has beautifully captured the intimate and romantic moments of older adults, celebrating the vibrant and fulfilling sexuality of seniors.

Artist Marilyn Minter aims to break the taboo around senior sexuality by curating a stunning photo series that features men and women aged 70 and above. Set in her New York studio, the series showcases an intimate and rarely-seen side of sex and relationships through erotic and colorful imagery. The seniors are captured in playful, loving moments of pleasure, engaging in hugging, kissing, and caressing each other.

“There’s so much contempt for elder sex. Even one of the models that I worked with said, ‘Who wants to see all these?'” Minter told CNN.

“My whole thought process going into it was that we’re pioneers.

“Nobody’s ever shot elder people affectionately, and with any kind of elegance. And that was my goal — to make them look very desirable.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Marilyn Minter (@marilynminter)

Minter’s groundbreaking photo series celebrating senior sexuality is set to be published in the upcoming book Elder Sex.

In the course of her shoots, Minter was amazed to learn that her models – some as old as 89 years old – were still enjoying regular and satisfying sex lives. According to Minter, there is a certain sense of liberation and freedom that comes with having sex in later life, one that is not always easy to achieve but is certainly worth striving for.

“When you’re young and having sex, it’s a little more performative than it is when you’re 80,” she said.

“You’re thinking, ‘This is me. Take it or leave it. I’m just going to enjoy myself. I’m not going to fake anything here.'”

Minter hopes Elder Sex will serve as a groundbreaking visual reference that captures the beauty and complexity of intimacy in older age.

Her hope is that the book will provide a source of inspiration and validation for those who feel overlooked or misunderstood in terms of their sexual desires and the richness of their lives.

Minter’s work arrives at a moment when sex has become a popular subject among Millennials and younger cohorts, yet it remains a taboo subject in the media when it comes to Baby Boomers and those over the age of 60.

Although there is somewhat a narrow perspective on seniors’ sex lives, it is essential to recognise that age does not preclude the possibility of a pleasurable and satisfying sexual experience for both men and women.