Holly Stewart, aka “HollyPolyester,” manages to combine cute, funny, feminist and kitsch with her Master’s thesis “Local Grandmother Quilts Giant Penises: An exploration of the phallus as the site of female empowerment and the rightful status of the crone in contemporary society.” The Kansas City grandmother is studying Studio Art at University of Missouri-Kansas City. and she worked for a time in a sex-toy factory, removing dildos from their molds. So really, her foray into chintzy wangs was an artistic inevitability! Though Stewart enjoys the giggles, her (pink) press release manages to convey an exhibit of genitalia with remarkable dignity:

UMKC student Holly Stewart (HollyPolyester) is to present her M.A. thesis exhibition, which will feature a variety of both large and small sculptural works and installations. Utilizing craft-oriented techniques and materials such as quilting and beading, Stewart appropriates the penis as a symbol of power while contextualizing her work within “third wave” feminist theory.

They’re not just penises, people—they’re penises with artistic legitimacy (which is way more than you could say for most dicks in art.) Today is actually the last day her work will show at the UMKC Gallery, but with all the praise her phallic crafts have received, perhaps her show should be extended.

Size is one thing, but duration’s really the key!
 

A Mike Kelley-influenced clusterfuck?
 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Via Beautiful Decay