That silent, invisible, porcelain monument, Glossy and sculpted and made in our curious form. Shaped to fit its one particular function. Closeted away behind its own door, it exists on a social divide, on its own turf unlike anything else in the world. From across the room, it is furniture, necessary and ungainly. But from upon, the dynamic changes. Its awkward and humorous surface is broken, its urgent service availed, and what is revealed!?


Welcome to the blog of Sitters. The project is a study through portraiture of the most unifying of all themes human, the toilet. This project is all about revealing the hidden. There could scarcely be a ritual so ancient or emblem of civilisation so indelible, that is less acknowledged. Its function is the function of the human body, an age old marriage.

Yet it is difficult to visualise. We can hardly recall the where and when of our life's visitations let alone the events that surround them (except for the unspeakably extreme). For something so common, so universal, it is unmatched in its unfamiliarity. It is private, closed and altogether invisible. The aim of Sitters is to show the toilet and its inevitable role as who we are. The project flushes out the taboo and restraint that surrounds the subject and plumbs the small entitlements we take for granted. That's all the toilet jokes i promise.























Thursday 31 March 2011

On tour: the journey continues

Ride on! Things on the s i t t e r s  front have been very busy recently. Arthur's not had an easy time of it either, we've both been hard on the trail (and the bus) working through our locations. A gift and curse he has been. He is just a logistic nightmare in his old age. He weighs a tonne, and won't go anywhere without the other 15kilos of equipment needed to take his photo. If anything he is probably the greatest incentive i have ever had to get my dirvers licence and buy a car. But since that's not happening any time soon, its public transport all the way.

Together we've redefined my public image, so the hot burning on the back of my neck when i walk down the street carrying a toilet isn't embarrassed indignity, its traction. But sympathy abounds and i'm not the sort to let those little gestures of help go unnoticed. Something as little as a wide-eyed stare or someone diving out of the way to avoid my unstoppable toilet procession. They go a long way.

The procession carried on to Gorgie this week for possibly the most bare faced image so far. The wonderful Gorgie Farm,  the most understated gem in greater Edinburgh. It is a spirited community initiative i had the pleasure of seeing up close and it became clear as day when i slinked up to the office with my project looking for a location one rainy day and, without missing a beat, came away with not just a location but a sitter. Gorgie Farm is run on a huge level by local volunteers who are involved in about every single activity you can think of. They farm and sell their own veg and run workshops and classes galore and keep quality out-doors-in-the-muck education for children at the core. They care for a bundle of animals and have an encyclopaedia of knowledge (and a name) for everyone within their walls. It is a hive of activity around the clock. Do i sound astounded? I should, because its free. Take a 10 minute bus ride out and have a gander around for an afternoon and see exactly what i mean. If you stand around long enough you might have a paint brush landed in your hand to redecorate a wall, or just walk in off the street, stare at a turkey for 5 minutes, be on your way and no one is the worse

 No turkeys today though, today its the chickens. It was Donna who braved the ordeal and believe me, i cannot stress how deliberate those two words are. Brave and Ordeal, especially when a bus of 30 schoolkids turns up just in time and, pressed to the wire, they all want to find out when the chicken was going to use the toilet. What courage. Donna, let me tell you, is certainly no chicken.










Huge thanks to all the Gorgie farm staff for their support, enthusiasm and managing to keep a straight face

e
Posted by at
Labels: , , , , ,

1 comment:

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)