The Kinsey Institute, Morrison Hall, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
Amy Tims, a current SLIS Master of Library Science student, curated an exhibit as a part of her internship at the Kinsey Institute during the Fall 2011 semester. The exhibit is entitled “Ephemeral Ink: Selections of Tattoo Art from The Kinsey Institute.”
The exhibit was on display at Marian University in Indianapolis from February 20 until March 23, 2012. Amy spoke at a lecture about the exhibit on February 24 - along with SLIS alumna Catherine Johnson-Roehr (Curator of Art, Artifacts and Photographs at The Kinsey Institute).
The exhibit press release gives details:
“Ephemeral Ink features images of tattoos and tattooing from the beginning of the twentieth century through the twenty-first. Drawing from the art collection of The Kinsey Institute, the exhibit gives viewers a glimpse into the evolution of tattooing style and technique over the course of a hundred years.
People from many walks of life and of all ages have had their bodies marked with needle and ink, for both personal and professional reasons. These marks change through time as bodies age, inks change, and tattoos are added to, covered up, or otherwise altered. Vintage and contemporary photographs in Ephemeral Ink allow us to see people’s tattoos at a particular moment in their lives. Materials in the show include flash art, images of tattoos by notable artists Les Skuse and Bert Grimm, and photographs by anonymous and known fine art photographers, including Michael Grecco, Jess T. Dugan, Chas Ray Krider, and George Platt Lynes.”
Nuvo, an independent alternative news organization in Indiana, wrote a review of the exhibit (issue 02.29.12-03.07.12, page 22), giving it a four star rating. However, the exhibit has not been without its critics, as documented in an article by Brendan Dugan featured in the Marian University student newspaper, The Knight Times on February 27, 2012. There were concerns that the exhibit contains lewd images. Gallery Director Jenny Pauckner responded to these critics, saying “"The whole purpose of the exhibit is to give people insight...a different perspective. I think it's important to challenge our preconceptions of life, art, ideas. That's where learning takes place."
The exhibit will be on display at The Kinsey Institute Gallery, Indiana University, Bloomington beginning July 9 and continuing through September 21, 2012.
Posted March 29, 2012