Phallus - Modern Use of The Phallus

Modern Use of The Phallus

The phallus is often used to advertise pornography, as well as the sale of contraception. It has often been used in provocative practical jokes and has been the central focus of adult-audience performances.

The phallus has a new set of art interpretations in the 20th century with the rise of Sigmund Freud, the founder of the psychoanalytic school of psychology. One example is "Princess X" by the Romanian modernist sculptor Constantin Brâncuşi. He created a scandal in the Salon in 1919 when he represented or caricatured Princess Marie Bonaparte as a large gleaming bronze phallus. This phallus likely symbolizes Bonaparte's obsession with the penis and her lifelong quest to achieve vaginal orgasm.

See also the Most Phallic Building contest for modern examples of phallic designs.

• A woman riding a phallic mechanical bull at EXXXOTICA New York 2009

• Penis costume at a 2005 parade in San Francisco