Exhibitionism | A Popular History of Performance and Display

The story of exhibitionism goes back as far as the human race has had a culture of modesty, for some, as long ago as Adam and Eve chose to cover up in the Garden of Eden. As ideas of civility developed with time, stripping off in public came to be seen as increasingly voyeuristic, depraved, and was often associated with madness. Exhibitionism or ‘indecent exposure’ was first classified as a mental disorder in 1877 by French physician Charles Lasègue. Fast forward to the present day and the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary defines exhibitionism as involving: ‘a tendency towards display and extravagant behaviour’. Using this definition as a starting point, Chris Nancollas presents the first popular biography of exhibitionism and explores its cultural history, psychology and psychopathology, and it’s manifestations in the world of art, architecture and acting as well as in the sex industry.