Installation, 2017
Nylons, Fiberfill, Metal
This piece is an investigation of the relationship between architecture and the body, sex, power, and place within an institution. Skyscrapers, towers, pillars, have inherent phallic qualities, imbuing the erect phallus with a higher power than female anatomy. Phallic architecture, such as tall skyscrapers or pillars dominate the landscape as symbols of male domination, power and political authority. Architectural theorists, such as Henri Lefebvre, have referred to this trend in architecture as “Phallic Erectility” explaining that vertical buildings establish phallocracy as the orientation of space, which can be viewed as a metaphor for the patriarchy.
By creating my own pillar of female breasts, and displaying it between two existing pillars, I am empowering the female body. I created smaller, flaccid penises to invert the power dynamic between the erect penis and female body. I installed the piece between the two center pillars of Memorial Hall at Chapman University because it is the most political and iconic building on campus, housing the offices of the President, Dean and Provost of the university.