Photographer Sophy Rickett’s 1995 series Pissing Women was one that combined the social perspective with the fetizisation of the phallus, through the act of public urination. The series of self portraits, featuring her dressed in typical office wear and choosing locations synonymous with order and decorum were paralleled with her urinating in such a way as to mimic a male equivalent: challenging traditional ideas of dominance in such a specific way and its position within society.

Aside from the obvious gender challenging from her, there lies other elements which could deem the series as social and sexual challenge towards urination itself. In order to grasp the messages conveyed through the act, the audience automatically assumes the traditional role of empowered observer; only to realise that in this instance Rickett wants to be observed and thus the power is given back to her. Instead of her being embarrassed, confused or even aroused the audience now takes on this reversed psychological burden- towards an act which seldom exists outside of the connotations of social degeneracy and far flung from acceptance within male and female sexuality.