Flames flying from a pelvic orifice may require a trip to the clinic. But to Jake Tennant, the penis blaze simply makes his human-like art piece Vanilla Woman in Burly more amusing.

The metal torso of the piece takes on the shape of a human figure holding a smoking pipe. It is dressed in black leather with rows of shiny, silver screws protruding through the surface, and to cover the crotch area is what resembles an athletic cup with a large, phallic aerosol can mounted to the front.

While it may seem sado-masochistic, Tennant, a junior in product/industrial design from Rockford, insists the functional aspect of Vanilla Woman was to keep the piece entertaining through what it took to create rather than graphically sexual.

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It’s more of an implementation of mechanics, he said. It really strays from the eroticism factor of it just because it does something like shooting flames.

It’s more entertaining than it is erotic.

Vanilla Woman and 17 other pieces of Tennant’s mostly functional artwork will be on display in his The Works exhibition on the second floor of the Student Center through March 16 .

The pieces range from a three-wheeled bicycle with a 40-watt stereo on the back to a majestic to a wooden puzzle that would look as in place above a regal brick fireplace as it would next to the magazines on any living room coffee table.

By not sticking with one art medium, Tennant allows himself more outlets to churn out finished products.

The exposure with other materials is the best thing you can do because it extends your avenues a lot as to what you can do or the stuff you can come up with, Tennant said.

A nearly full functional motorcycle on display some clutch and electrical work is yet to be done required Tennant’s widest range of materials to create. The motorcycle took blacksmithing, welding, glass molding and Tennant’s mechanical abilities for him to turn it from a chopped-up, stripped-down, bare metal frame to the flashy artwork it is now.

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There’s a lot of versatility of materials on [the motorcycle] that allows me to go anywhere from something that has to be mechanically functional to something that if it’ll work and it looks cool on there can be completely artistic because of the freedom the materials allow, Tennant said.

Creating art work that can also be driven, worn or used otherwise as well as appreciated for its appearance is something Tennant has come under fire for.

One particular piece is Big O’ Buhlmhed, a metal sculpture abstractly shaped like an android bull with a real bull skull as the head and bright red lights for eyes.

I actually got a lot of criticism in my sculpture class because [Big O’ Buhlmhed] lit up, Tennant said. People said That’s not a sculpture; it’s a light. It does something. It lights up a room.’

It still looks the same even if it does something.

There is a debate among many in the art world about whether art can be functional or not. Tennant believes that as long as the functional aspect of the art work does not compromise the artistic statement there is no problem with mixing the two.

And if the results of the debate call for the definition of art to include everything sans functional pieces, Tennant will have no problem with continuing what he does.

If people are willing to say that art can’t be functional, than fine. I won’t consider it art, he said. I’ll just consider it something cooler than what you can buy in any store.

Another thing Tennant will continue to do with his artwork is to take any criticism with a grain of salt because he knows people always have opinions to throw toward artists. Vanilla Woman has already raised some questions from some exhibition visitors who are curious if it will continue to be on display or if it is offending anyone.

I think that it’s sad that a lot of people can’t get over the fact that it has something that looks like a penis on it, Tennant said. People are going to give their opinion as far as how it relates to their life or whatever. I’ll listen to what people have to say, but I’m going to take into account too that they don’t know what end point I’m trying to get to or where I’m trying to go with this.

I don’t expect people to be 100 percent agreeable with a lot of stuff like that. It would kind of worry me if they were.