The Institute of Sexology

Interesting but slightly disappointing exhibition at the Wellcome Collection looking at the history of the scientific study of sex.

I say disappointing because I had really looked forward to it as the adverts had been great and I knew about the erotica collection at the Wellcome but the exhibition seemed to wander a bit and have two distinct halves which were not really joined together well.

The first section, which might have made more sense if I’d gone in through the correct door (better directions please!) focused on the Wellcome Collection and was fascinating. It looked at first gender reassignment, early sex  aids, gay and lesbian life through the ages and much more. However it all felt a bit random.

The second section looked at the history of the scientific study of sex starting with Freud and Stopes  and working through to current studies. It covered Kinsey, Masters and Johnson who were the study of a wonderful recent TV series and much more. It was really sweet to see original drawings for the Joy of Sex book.

I also have a gripe about a rather loud video that was being shown in the later section of interviews with American collect students. The sound dominated the whole room! At first I thought there was a group of students in but once it began repeating itself it got very annoying. Other films were shown with earphones so it wasn’t clear why this one had the sound on or why it had to be so loud.

Review
Times
Independent
Evening Standard

 

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year Exhibition 2019

Image
Delightful exhibition at Clarendon Fine Art showing pictures from the Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year TV series. I had loved the series which had set nine artists, both professional and amateur, to paint one of three celebrities. It then had a semi-final and final with them all looking at one sitter and in the final they also took on a commission. I loved the way you watched a picture build and how some were then made or spoiled by one stroke of paint.   Finding these pictures I knew so well in the flesh was therefore fascinating. None of them disappointed. My favourite artist from the final, Tom Mead, works looked just as good in real life if not better as you could see the detail. The show included his impressive self-portrait which he submitted to enter the competition, a wonderful fragmented picture of his reflection in a mirror giving a sense of movement. I loved that it included a large version of him and a miniature. His commission for the final of Jazzie B was
Read more

Thomas Becket: Murder and Making of a Saint

Image
Stunning exhibition at the British Museum on the life and afterlife of Thomas Becket. I studied Becket both at A Level and at university so I was really looking forward to this show and it did not disappoint. From walking in to see an old friend, the early Limoges casket showing the murder from the Victoria and Albert Museum, I was gripped. The show told the story well using fantastic objects and led you through his life, the murder, the political aftermath, his sainthood and miracles, and how Canterbury became a major pilgrimage site. It is hard to pick out the best objects as so many were wonderful. I loved that they had early copies of some of the five eyewitness accounts of the murder which made you fell you were almost touching the event. I liked the manuscript on his time in exile which was almost like a comic strip. How wonderful to get a 13th century font from Sweden which shows how far and how quickly the news that Henry II had integrated the murder spread. I think my
Read more

Courtauld summer school day 1

Image
Today has been my first day of this year’s week at the Courtauld Institute’s summer schools. This year I am doing “Painting in Renaissance Venice” which is being led by Michael Douglas-Scott. It was nice to see some familiar faces and there are at least five of us who did Michael’s course last year. Today has been two lectures. Firstly setting out the background of Venice in this period looking at how the city had set up a myth of itself, the role of the Doge. the nature of the Republic and the role of citizens. The second lecture looked at why the nature of Renaissance was different in Venice. There was still a sense of the coming of antiquity and humanism but in Venice it fused with the Gothic and Byzantine rather than replacing it. The day ended with a choice of gallery talks. I went to one on the second floor of the Courtauld on the coming of Modernism. In essence it looked at the Impressionists and discussed what they were reacting against and what themes they portrayed. All in a
Read more