‘SIT ON IT AND SWIVEL’ 2025 Large Crystal Rhinestone Embellished Sculpture Phallic Phallus Fine Art Contemporary LGBT Gay Art By Max Hammond Studio

MaxHammondStudio

A celebration of excess, desire and queer spectacle.

These glass rhinestone sculptures transform familiar forms into objects of seduction, humour and contradiction. Their kitsch surfaces and unapologetic glamour draw on the visual language of camp—where the excessive, the artificial and the seemingly vulgar become a means of expression.

The rhinestone becomes both material and metaphor: decorative, fragile, obsessive and deliberately conspicuous. Each surface demands attention, turning the object into something to be looked at, desired and questioned.

Rooted in queer visual culture, the works embrace the tension between masculinity and decoration, intimacy and spectacle, sincerity and irony. What might appear playful or absurd becomes a vehicle for examining how queer bodies, desires and identities are made visible.

MaxHammondStudio presents a contemporary crystal-encrusted sculpture – an original handcrafted work.

Created between 2024–2025, this piece was exhibited as part of “13 Beautiful Horses” in Leicester and featured in a review by Corridor8 Magazine (September/October 2025 issue).

This sculpture continues the artist’s exploration of masculinity, form, and perception, shifting toward a more explicitly figurative language. Unlike earlier works that sit closer to abstraction, this piece adopts a human-like presence—standing independently, freestanding, and almost bodily in its posture. It suggests not just a form, but a being—something capable of holding space, of feeling, of existing beyond objecthood.

Hand-formed in clay through an intuitive and instinctive process, the sculpture merges anatomical reference with anthropomorphic suggestion. It becomes a hybrid: a humanised version of the phallic form. The stance is grounded and stable, almost defiant, yet there is an underlying softness in its proportions. This duality introduces a sense of vulnerability, as though the work carries an emotional weight as much as a physical one.

The surface is defined by a luminous, iridescent palette. Soft, almost pastel yellows shift through subtle tones, catching light in a way that feels playful and disarming. There is a childlike quality in the colour—bright, delicate, and inviting—contrasting sharply with the solidity of the form itself. This tension between innocence and strength becomes central to the reading of the piece.

Materially, the sculpture maintains a strong physical presence. The density of the form, combined with the labour-intensive application of crystals, reinforces its durability and permanence. Yet visually, it resists heaviness. The shimmering surface dissolves the solidity, creating a sense of lightness that destabilises expectations of what strength should look like.

The work exists within contradiction. It appears approachable—almost playful in its colour and finish—yet its stance and scale assert confidence and resilience. It challenges fixed ideas of masculinity by introducing emotional depth, sensitivity, and a quiet introspection. In doing so, it reframes the body not as a symbol of dominance alone, but as something capable of feeling, of vulnerability, and of presence.

As with all works from MaxHammondStudio, rhinestones are used deliberately. Materials often dismissed as decorative are elevated, disrupting traditional hierarchies of taste while reinforcing the relationship between surface, identity, and value.

Each sculpture takes approximately 25–50 hours to complete. Every crystal is individually selected and applied by hand, creating a tactile, light-reactive surface that shifts depending on its environment.

These works are not mass-produced—they are physical extensions of personal narrative and lived experience.

Owning a piece from MaxHammondStudio is not simply about acquiring a sculpture—it is about investing in an artist and their evolving practice. Each work represents a moment within that journey.

The artist has been working within fine art for over eight years, holding a BA (Hons) in Fine Art and an MA in Contemporary Fine Art. Influences include Tracey Emin, Louise Bourgeois, John Giorno, and Andy Warhol.

No two pieces are ever the same. One of a kind.

Each artwork is hand-signed, numbered, and comes with a certificate of authenticity. Custom gift wrapping included.

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Details

• Original, one-of-a-kind artwork

• Hand-sculpted clay

• Individually hand-applied rhinestone crystals

• Iridescent tonal finish (soft yellow spectrum)

• Contemporary, abstract / figurative biomorphic form

• Freestanding sculptural piece

• Signed and authenticated

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A work that balances innocence and strength—playful in appearance, yet grounded in presence.

A striking piece that reimagines the body as both human and symbolic, challenging ideas of masculinity, emotion, and form.