Let’s Talk About Sex

‘Let’s Talk About Sex’ is a psychological experiment. This art is inspired by the work of Alfred Kinsey’s famous research on human sexual behaviour. His books ‘Sexual Behaviour of the Human Male’ and ‘Sexual Behaviour of the Human Female’ is the core of the project.

In addition to research by other academics in the field of the Human Sexuality. The literature and the data they disseminate provides a unique insight into how people behave sexually, which is determined by factors including gender, age, sexual orientation, background, and religion.

The volunteers were firstly interviewed and then photographed. The photo-shoot involved participants engaging in the psychology of role-play. They were allowed to portray any character they wished. Their choice of character did not necessarily portray their own sexuality, but did however reflect a subconscious alter ego.

The impulses for creating these personas were based on a whole range of experiences, from desire, fear or a curiosity to a reaction against a particular idea. Most sexual preferences or fantasies are hidden in our subconscious; very often we don’t allow ourselves to access and express these emotions or desires.

This suppression is heavily influenced by personal assumptions in regards to what is morally acceptable and what is considered deviant. Social conventions, cultural & religious prescripts, social environments and the law further add to the list of taboos.

They desired to express their thoughts, feelings, traumas, joys, etc. They were all prepared for the challenges they set themselves. This was a means to liberate their bodies, to leave the trap they’ve been forced into by morality.

The candidness of the artworks humbles the audience with its honesty. They are challenged to rethink their views on other peoples sexuality as well as their own. This will seek to break open our abilities to hear out difficult and uncomfortable content, to shed a light on the tangible roots of sexual diversity as investigated initially by Alfred Kinsey. The variety of stories portrayed will attempt to open one’s opinion to a broader context, where just one story might lead to a biased judgment. Viewers will understand sexuality beyond the frame of their own subjective experiences.