Steel britches.

From corsets made of wood and metal to sculpted codpieces, the medieval armor and underwear photographed by Tanya Marcuse both protect and constrain. On view starting October 13 at Belfast Exposed, Armor & Undergarments features a range of work that examine the dichotomies of male/female, hard/soft, outside/inside, armed/disarmed. Writes Marcuse:

I see these garments and suits of armor as sculptures of the body that, like a carapace, outlast their wearers. These personal effects adorned, constricted and protected the body all at once. Now they are archived as artistic and cultural artefacts, shells of the bodies that once inhabited them.

Via ArtKnowledgeNews.