‘Shape’ molds body perceptions

This Friday, the Kinsey Institute held an opening reception for its current exhibition for the semester entitled “Shape of Us,” a collection of vintage and contemporary images that display the diversity of the human body. All Kinsey exhibits are free to the
public.

The exhibit, inspired by IU’s “themester” on evolution, diversity and change, placed an emphasis on body modificaton and the different forms the body takes.

Prior to the reception, Kinsey sponsored a lecture in Woodburn Hall given by New York-based erotic photographer Michele Serchuk. Serchuk’s talk, “Chasing the Erotic Portrait,” was the last in a series of lectures in the Michael Rosen Photography Lecture series put together by Kinsey.

Serchuk discussed her very personal works, creative process and why doing what she does is important. One of her main focuses is displaying her subjects in relationships, saying that the art is a key learning process for her.

 “I’m learning about myself by photographing other people,” Serchuk said, who was first-time visitor of Kinsey.

In the exhibit there were two sections, one of each for males and females. There were many vintage photographs and ones from the present day.  There were also models of sexual fetish clothing, such as extremely high heels and a very tight corset, on loan from IU’s historic costume collection.

“The best thing to look at was the diversity in the human body,” exhibit associate curator Garry Milius said.

Junior Kelsey Sheppard went to the exhibit for a class and said she was struck by the wealth of Kinsey’s collection.

“I’ve come here before,” Sheppard said. “I love all the diversity in the images this time, and it’s great because we can’t see this stuff anywhere else.”

Kinsey also had a book sale this weekend of all the duplicate volumes they had in their library but didn’t need. Everything from involving sexually-oriented foreign translations to pulp fiction magazines was on sale.

Serchuk said she was impressed by the extensive collection they had all in one place.  “I’m blown away by how much erotic art there is here,” Serchuk said. “This really is a great place.”