I have several galleries on this website that document imagery I find on the street relating to gender and identity. One is The Frown Project, which documents expression and gender, another on Hairiness and Gender and one which documents phallic imagery and references to male genitals in the public arena. This piece gives some background to the ongoing collection of photographs documenting penis graffiti and imagery I’ve come across both in London and on my travels.
When I researched phallic representation and graffiti I came across historical and cultural signifiers encompassing ancient sacred imagery, fertility symbols, architectural monuments and childish, naughty and rebellious vandalism aimed to shock or make you giggle.
The image above taken of a massive wall at a historical site in Palma de Mallorca manifests a combination of impressive grandeur and humour with the addition of the text JeJe which translates into English as haha.
I find it interesting that in an age of supposed gender-fluidity there is still an abundance of penis graffiti. Are women also participating in the act of drawing male genitalia?
More Willies of the World
On a recent trip to Palermo in Sicily I was surprised at the abundance of penis graffiti that I came across in the city streets.
Here are a few more examples of penis graffiti witnessed on my travels,
On Misogyny, Disrespect and Violence towards Women
Is penis graffiti merely celebratory or humorous? This week I came across a sighting which grabbed my attention on an otherwise typical trip to Edgware where I go to visit my mum:
The above photograph is a detail of a Superdrug storefront in Edgware – a popular health and beauty chain. The young woman has red lipstick and matching nails. She is holding a striped carton of popcorn in one hand and touches the side of her face with the other. Her mouth is open, connoting happiness and gleeful excitement. Someone has painted an orange coloured penis with testicles entering the mouth, resting on the tongue and aiming towards the back of her throat.
It’s been a week where the media has been reporting on celebrities using their fame to get away with sexual misconduct including cases of rape and assault. Despite the history of phallic graffiti encompassing everything from good luck, glorified sexuality and fertility, protection, rebellion and childish humour I’ve noticed recent markings that blur boundaries and have made me feel uncomfortable. Do these graffiti “jokes” use alleged humour to normalise unwanted and non-consensual sexual acts?
Another recent example of this was taken earlier this year on the approach to Gospel Oak Station on Gordon House Road which is local to me:
A colourful street poster promotes the music production opportunities for young people at Chalk Farm’s iconic Roundhouse. In the image a large penis with testicles has been graffitied on to the face of a girl – possibly a teenager – as she concentrates unaware at a mixing desk.
Are these markings also expressions of misogyny, disrespect, humiliation and violence towards women?
Seen in Chalk Farm back in October 2020
Interestingly there is an overlap with the above image and another of my Documenting Graffiti projects – in this case the gallery dedicated to hairiness and gender. I find it interesting that this same image within a time period of a few months was vandalised initially with hairy graffiti and after a clean-up was then subjected to a penis. What is the connection between the motivation?
Documenting Phallic Graffiti in my Neighborhood
Below are some more examples of local phallic imagery seen in the Kentish Town, Dartmouth Park and Parliament Hill areas of Camden:
schoolboy?
All weather:
Links
See the whole gallery here: Documenting Representations of Genitals Part 1
