Power & Hierarchy: Looking up!

by: , June 25, 2022

When walking in the City of London, you feel impelled to look up—up towards the top of the towering buildings. It’s almost as if you are being forced to perform an act of obeisance to something. Obeisance to what? To Power & Hierarchy and, in particular, to patriarchal power.

State buildings serve the governmental and legislative purposes of society and are often designed to convey a sense of grandeur, and to express power. The Bank of England is a good example, and it also includes statuary, reminding the public of military success and imperial power.

Commercial buildings are often designed to give a sense of permanence, strength, and trustworthiness. Like state buildings, they convey a message of Power & Hierarchy, with the locale of the buildings forcing people to look up as though in an act of obeisance. Some of the buildings also have secret (or not so secret!) messages of dominance and control, particularly of a sexual nature.

 

Marta Poncelas
Marta Poncelas, Postcard 1.

 

Marta Poncelas
Marta Poncelas, Postcard 2

 

The full series of images can be viewed at martaponcelas.com

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