Pornstar/Academic Collection

Stephens gathered the pairs of panties from various well-known porn stars and academics and bronzed them using the ancient lost wax process. She then juxtaposed them together, with the name identifying the original wearers.

Porn stars and academics are both in the forefront of thought and practice around issues such as sexuality and identity politics. In the academic world the brightest intellectuals are fetishized in a manner that bears certain similarities to the ways in which porn fans adore their stars. Both are sexy, powerful and compelling. Included are the bronzed panties of Vanessa Del Rio, Ron Jeremy, Kate Bornstein, Carla Freccero, Ph.D., and Erica Rand, Ph.D..

This work is homage and a wink to the bravery and chutzpah of porn stars and adventurous academics, be it in the classroom or on the silver screen and who have changed the ways others see the world.