BLOOMINGTON, Ind., September 3, 2024 – The Kinsey Institute has received a gift of 60 dolls used in the creation of renowned photographer David Levinthal’s XXX series. Selected prints from the XXX series and a number of the dolls will be on view this fall at the Grunwald Gallery of Art in Bloomington, Indiana.

“We are grateful to David Levinthal for this generous gift that allows us to add a new dimension to the Institute’s unique collection of artwork,” said Dr. Justin Garcia, Executive Director of the Kinsey Institute. “For decades, David Levinthal has explored concepts like intimacy and desire through compelling photography. This latest addition to our collection will continue to allow researchers, historians and curators to document and explore the diverse dimensions of human sexuality for decades to come.”

The Kinsey Institute is the sole holder of the complete XXX series and this gift completes an already unique collection following a previous substantial gift of Levinthal’s original photography and doll figurines donated from acclaimed Houston-based art collector Don Sanders in 2017. Sanders gifted the Kinsey Institute the XXX series, a number of the associated dolls, and over 750 polaroids from the Netsuke series. The Kinsey Institute Library & Special Collections contain print materials, film and video, fine art, artifacts, photography, and archives from six continents that span more than 2,000 years of human history.

“It is an honor to have my work preserved through the Kinsey Institute’s special collection, an institution at the forefront of exploring and destigmatizing the complexities of human sexuality” said David Levinthal. “Our shared commitment to exploring how sexuality can evoke complex emotions makes this the ideal home for this body of work.”

Known for his unique and provocative style, Levinthal often uses toy figurines and miniature dioramas to explore themes of popular culture, history, and memory. Levinthal's series of intimate portraits of dolls reveal the hidden desires and cultural myths shaping American sexuality. His signature meticulously crafted scenes and use of large-format Polaroid photographs achieve trompe l’oeil realism – blurring the line between fantasy and reality in an emerging age of digital intimacy. Levinthal’s work has been exhibited widely and is part of the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, Museum of Fine Arts Houston, the Whitney Museum of American Art, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Carnegie Museum of Art, The Menil Collection, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and The Kinsey Institute.

“David Levinthal's images blend fact with fiction,” said Rebecca Fasman, curator of the Kinsey Institute Library & Special Collections. “This show asks viewers to contemplate the difference, while creating space to present the reality of these dolls with the fantasy captured in Levinthal’s photographs.”

The show—co-curated by Rebecca Fasman; IU Professor Emeritus Claude Cookman; and Miami University Teaching Professor of Art History Jennifer Pearson Yamashiro—will run from September 3 to November 11, 2024 at the Grunwald Gallery, with an opening reception on September 6 from 6-9pm. In addition, Levinthal will visit Indiana University Bloomington and participate in an artist’s talk on October 17, 2024 from 5-6pm followed by a reception from 6-8pm. Details can be found on the Kinsey Institute’s website at blogs.iu.edu/kinseyinstitute/2024/09/03/intimate-alchemy-david-levinthals-xxx-polaroids/

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About the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University

For over 75 years, the Kinsey Institute has been the premier research institute on human sexuality and relationships and a trusted source for evidence-based information on critical issues in sexuality, gender, reproduction, and well-being. The Kinsey Institute's research program integrates scholarly fields including neuroscience, psychology, public health, anthropology, history, and gender studies. Kinsey Institute outreach includes traveling art exhibitions, public scholarships, research lectures, and a human sexuality education program. Visit our website kinseyinstitute.org and follow us on LinkedIn.