Back in 2019, Cleveland-based public artist Stephen Manka hit the jackpot (or better yet, the “COCK-pot”) when he stumbled across a shit-ton of vintage metal dildoes he purchased from a scrap dealer. Cleveland has long been known for early porn and dildo manufacturing, thanks mainly to Rueben Sturman, founder of Doc Johnson and the “Walt Disney of Porn”. It’s likely these salvaged sex toys were part of Sturman’s lost legacy.
Looking back, the topic of monuments was front and center. Racial injustice (“There’s very fine people on both sides!”) and police brutality (“LAW AND ORDER!”) led to Confederate statues being vandalized and ultimately toppled nationwide; Kehinde Wiley’s “Rumors of War” series was unveiled; and our soon-to-be FORMER President was pitching his stupid mug for Mount Rushmore. But what, pray tell, could be the proper monument to immortalize four years of arrogance, ego, ignorance, incompetence, racism, and narcissism? None at all. In fact no one ever gave it any thought until Manka discovered the treasure trove of dongs.
Dongs indeed!
For what better medium is suited for the biggest dickhead of all? And what better portrait of the biggest dickhead of all than the biggest portrait of all comprised entirely of the oldest, wartiest, rustiest, orange-tinged, fake dicks of all?
And so Manka set about creating his venereal vision — a new direction in art that merged photography, sculpture, found objects, politics, and, well, dicks. Exactly 2,020 fake fuck sticks later, the end result was SCROTUS — a masterpiece, his Magnum XL opus, and now a grim reminder of just how FUCKED we’ll be if the Orange Mussolini gets re-elected.
Vote Blue.
Not Red.
And certainly, not Orange.
—SM
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