"Penis Envy" , by Erik Pevernagie, oil on canvas,(100 x130cm),
Since the time Sigmund Freud has started his psycho-analytical researches, the item "Penis Envy" has invaded many strata of our society.
Though Freud assumed that women envy men, simply because they have a penis, the hub of a men’s existence is precisely this particular organ. In the relationship with the penile member, many men seem to have a complicated affair, related to a sense of power. As size and ability are at the root of their self-esteem, it may lead to a feeling of shame and depression, if failures occur.
The Italian writer Alberto Moravia, in his book "Him and Me" (Io e lui), puts on an interesting dialectical performance of a man's passionate penis, talking to his owner. He gives us a fascinating dialogue between Instinct and Sublimation.
In the opinion of the artist the automobile is often considered as a protraction of the penis. At the center of the painting, we see a representation of a car and an abstraction of two individuals watching at each side of the canvas. "The car has become a " Penis Extension", tied to a man’s sense of virility, job prestige, earning potential and true masculinity as a whole. It is an alternative for Penis enlargement. The car has simply become a magic potion for promising "male enhancement."
'Phenomenon': Consumerism and envy
'Factual starting point': car and two men watching