More photos from ICA performance of Impenetrable Power of The Phallic Matron, 20 May 2011.
The bra-burning, peace-offering moment of the performance (following swiftly after the bikini-competition and question round) is a mini-homage to the New York Radical women who carried out the same protest action at The Miss America Pageant in 1968. The mirror reflection of the goddess of love's visage in Velazquez's Rokeby Venus (1649-51) was painted purposely blurry and vague by the artist who didn't want to pin-down the specifics of the ideal face. Venus is rendered anonymous. I've undone this by literally stabbing Sarah Palin's face onto the surface of the mirror as the culmination of my performance. Photos: jimbanks.info