Written by, March 8 -- Kalpana Pandey

Born in 1929 in Wichita, Betty Dodson grew up in an era when open discussion of sex was virtually taboo. Raised in a conservative household, she learned early on that questions about desire and self-pleasure were met with silence or admonishment. Growing up in Wichita, Kansas, she developed an early passion for drawing and painting. By the age of 18, she was already contributing to her family's income as a fashion illustrator.

After moving to New York in 1950, Dodson studied at the Art Students League of New York under renowned painter Frank J. Reilly, honing her skills in figure drawing. Artistic endeavors marked Dodson's early years in New York-she exhibited erotic art in galleries and honed her s...