The Phall of the Vatican, 2014
John O’Keeffe
U.S.A, 1945
granite
This controversial art piece boasts three large phallic objects in front of a church. John O’Keefe placed the phallic objects literally in the face of the church to critique the common sexual abuse in the Catholic church. The strong sexual connotation is highly disputed among local politicians and the clergy. It raised an ancient discussion about the use or misuse of governmental art funds. The artist stated: “Some people hate my work because they can’t deal with their own imagination. It is an abstract work. People may be offended if they want to refer to it as giant Gothic penises, but for me, these objects are more of an abstraction.”