Biology and bedfellows meet

Catherine Johnson-Roehr works at the crossroads of two worlds. \nAs art curator of the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction, her job is to maintain and provide access to the vast amount of "visual data" Kinsey collects and makes available for researchers. \nJohnson-Roehr said the Kinsey Institute is one of few institutes for sex research with an art collection and possibly the only one that publicly exhibits the work.\n"One reason for having public exhibitions is to encourage students and other visitors to consider using our materials for their own research projects," she said. "I think it is important for people to realize that some well-known artists ... produced erotic artwork."\nOn display through Friday, the current exhibit, "Sex in America: Art & Artifacts from the Kinsey Institute Collection," includes a sketch by Thomas Hart Benton, well-known around the IU community for the murals on display in the IU Auditorium and Woodburn Hall. In the piece displayed by Kinsey, Benton sketched artist and then-IU Professor Harry Engle drawing a nude woman. The piece shows the playful friendship between the two. \nWell-known artist Maynard Dixon is also included in the exhibit. His work typically features scenic views of the Western U.S., but the Kinsey Institute has a small watercolor piece by Dixon featuring a woman performing fellatio on her partner. Johnston-Roehr said that most would not have expected Dixon to create such an erotic piece but that the Kinsey Institute treasures the unique work like few institutions would. \nWhen senior Brad Stephens was a discussion section leader of Human Sexuality, a course offered by the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, he took his section through a tour of some of the art from the Kinsey archives.\n"It was a lot of abstract things, obviously people (depicted) having sex. It was a lot of stuff from the (1950s) and '40s that weren't really (politically correct) at that time. It also had pieces from Japan and China. It was really multicultural," he said. "It was kind of a new experience to see how sex is viewed by different cultures."\nAlthough the current exhibit focuses on erotic art by American artists, the Kinsey Institute houses works from many cultures and time periods. \n"I think it's important to understand that this material reveals societal attitudes toward sexuality, as well as sexual behavior," Johnson-Roehr said. \nIn the past, the Institute's gallery has featured highlights of the art collection and prominently displayed works of well-known artists included in the collection, such as those by Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse and George Platt Lynes. Recently, the Kinsey Institute began featuring themed exhibits.\n"Now that we are presenting theme exhibitions, we select works from the collection that help to illustrate each topic," Johnson-Roehr said. "The educational aspect is always something we think about. ... We also take into account the content of the image -- it might be something that fits the theme, but there are some art and photographs that are just too explicit for viewing."\nIn the 1950s, when Alfred Kinsey was researching male and female sexuality, he met many artists who where interested in his work. Those artists began sending Kinsey their erotic artwork, spawning the birth of a collection that includes everything from nude photography to old condoms.\n"I would describe it as a collection of art, artifacts and photographs that relate to human sexuality," Johnson-Roehr said, quickly adding, "That is not entirely accurate, as we also have photographs documenting animal sexual behavior."\nThus the Kinsey Institute has become a safe-haven of sorts for erotic art that might have otherwise been unappreciated. All of the materials in both the library and art collection are donated to the Institute. Johnson-Roehr said, in some cases, the artists donate their works themselves because they know their families wouldn't want to keep work with such explicit content. \nIn other cases, Johnson-Roehr said, families would find erotic material after a death in the family and donate it to the Institute. \nWhen the Kinsey Institute first began collecting these erotic pieces, it was illegal to send explicit materials through the mail. In the 1950s, customs agents began to confiscate and destroy pieces donated to the Kinsey Institute. Kinsey viewed this as a direct threat to his research goals and took the issue to court. A federal judge ruled it was legal for "obscene" materials to be sent to the Kinsey Institute as long as it was for research purposes. \nJunior Kallie Kirkendall plans to visit the exhibit. \n"You don't see that kind of erotic art in the (IU Art Museum). You would never see something really, really sexual," she said. "The human body is so interesting ... in order to understand the science of the human body, you have to know what it looks like and understand the beauty of it."\nWhile Stephens thinks science can become art, he questions where the line exists. \n"'David' was an art form. ... But you can't quantify two people having sex," he said, explaining that it's more individualistic. \nFaculty, students and independent researchers not associated with IU all can gain access to both the art and library collections. \n"We try to make it as simple as possible for students and others to use our library and art collection, but we do need to ensure that our patrons are working on legitimate research projects," Johnson-Roehr said.\nOften visitors do a double-take when they see the erotic materials that are part of the Kinsey Institute's collection, materials Johnson-Roehr is around every workday.\n"It's easy to forget that most people don't see erotic art on their walls everyday and that some of our images might surprise visitors when they first see them," Johnson-Roehr said. But ultimately, "it's the collections that make this such a unique institute."\n-- Contact staff writer Nicole Hindes at nhindes@indiana.edu.