Aesthetically, the works are also informed by Sterling’s beginnings in Manchester’s post-punk scene, where she first made a name for herself by creating the acid-hued artwork for Buzzcocks’ 1977 single, Orgasm Addict. Sterling later joined a band herself: Ludus. She was the lead vocalist, but her appeal was tied to so much more than her voice. In her eyes, a performance was a chance for a political statement. At one particularly memorable gig, held in the city’s legendary Hacienda, she wore a dress made of chicken skin which she later pulled up, revealing a big, black dildo strapped to her crotch.

The work on show at Linderism is similarly impactful. One features a naked man spread seductively across a sofa, with a drink in his hand and a cowboy hat on his head. He lays stomach-down, with his boot-clad legs spread slightly. Only an oversized, fuchsia flower covers his modesty.

Oyster shells, sliced-open avocados and cream-topped tarts all seem suggestive in Linder’s world, which regularly makes a point of celebrating female sexuality and paying homage to the vagina. After all, sex is political – so when you see a woman with her head tilted back, her mouth open and her face and body covered completely in multicoloured slime, it’s hard not to raise a knowing eyebrow.

Yet it’s precisely this tongue-in-cheek, provocative approach that makes Linder one of the best in the industry – and which will make this exhibition an art world must-see.

Linderism opens on February 15th at Kettle’s Yard, and runs until 26th April 2020.

Alligator Cowboy Boots with Embroidery (c1980-2000) $650

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