Lingam of a Thousand Lingams by Stephen Cox seen here in a forest setting at the Cass Foundation, Goodwood
The way in which the subject of sex and gender is addressed in religion interests Cox and Lingam of a Thousand Lingams is concerned with how masculinity is described in Hinduism. The lingam (or phallus) is one of the iconographical images associated with the God Siva—‘the destroyer’. Carvings of this particular symbol are found in temples across the country and had a deep impact on Cox when he encountered them during his time in India. Projecting straight up from the ground and adorned with repeated cylindrical mounds, references to the penis are plain to see. Lingam of a Thousand Lingams is imposing in scale and, due to the qualities of the stone, is both hard and dark with visible, rough chisel marks, giving the work a strong masculine feel. Statues of the Lingam in India often appear in conjunction with a female counterpart. Here, this relationship is with the ground, Cox seeing ‘mother earth’ as the sculpture’s female partner. Cass Foundation
Size: 3456px × 5184px
Photo credit: © suzan vagoose / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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