Collecting the Body, Transferring Desire

January 18 - June 5, 2005
Wolcott Gallery

Come explore the place where the sacred and profane, the public and private, intermingle. This exhibition presents a cross-cultural look at objects both familiar and strange to suggest the ways that spirituality, sexuality, and societal obsessions shape our experiences and perceptions of the human body.

While collectors and anthropologists have focused on behaviors and taboos found in "other" societies, outward expressions of our private selves, including those labeled taboo, exotic, or odd, are similarly embedded in Western cultures in surprising and novel ways. Curated by the Museum Anthropology 250 class, Collecting the Body, Transferring Desire intertwines history, fashion, and anthropology using objects from the Museum's extensive collection. From stiletto heels to lip plates, we invite you to explore the hidden meanings of fetish.

Curated by the students of Museum Anthropology 250.
Advised by Margaret Tamulonis, manager of collections and exhibitions, Fleming Museum; and David Houston, lecturer, Department of Anthropology, UVM.