Shed, 2016, Silicone Cast of Fetish Boots, Faux Fur, Wood, LED Lights, Chrome, 66”x43”x 12”
Shed calls attention to the ways in which patriarchal symbolism dominates the world of sexuality, and is inherent to the commercialization and commodification of female bodies. When these fetish boots are worn, a process of transference occurs in which the objects themselves are made to retain the properties of sensuality and sexuality usually reserved for human bodies. In this sense, they can be seen as a phallic symbol wherein the objectification of women comes full circle, causing an inanimate object to become a stand in for a female body. Casting this mold in a contrasting material to the boots’ original faux leather subverts the phallocentric object to a feminized form that is vaginal and flesh-like. Placing the boots on a raised faux fur surface that imitates body hair is reminiscent of the way storefronts display commodities through eroticization and sex appeal. The shape of the table can signify an eye, mouth, or vulva, returning the dialogue to the body.