In "Notes on the Margin of the Black Book" (1991-1993), Ligon reacts to Robert Mapplethorpe's photographs of black male bodies from his 1996 book titled, "Black Book". Ligon separately framed 91 erotic photographs of black males cut from Robert Mapplethorpe's 1988 "Black Book," installing them in two horizontal rows. Between them are two more rows of small framed typed texts, 78 comments on sexuality, race, AIDS, art and the controversy over Mapplethorpe's work that was launched by then-Texas Congressman Dick Armey. Ligon explicitly points out the problematics of these visuals in Mapplethorpe's book with his row of textual placards between the rows of photographs. These images, because they were first published in Mapplethorpe's book, had a limited the scope under which they were viewed. Ligon, however, made these pictures public literally in how they were present, in a museum, but also through how they were viewed. Ligon forced viewers to look at these images in a room full of others. This brings forward the uncomfortability of viewing such images publicly, and allows for open discussion of them. It was this show that quickly led Ligon into "Feast of Scraps."