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.























Friday, 25 March 2011

Sunshine!

Yes. At long last the undeniable is upons. It is the crystal clear, milky blue truth of spring. All around the pavements are hot, the grass is lush and brimming with lazy bodies. The coat cupboard is rightfully bulging again. The milkshakes are out, the hot chocolates away. For me unfortunately, the sweat pores are also restless, so the era of the emergency t-shirt is also...upons.


But i'm getting away from myself, it is still toilet season and  s i t t e r s has been bowling along. Today, with a spring in our step myself and fellow photographer Karen H undertook the challenge: not one but two images! Her wonderful Aunt and Uncle lent us the use of their bathrooms, kept their distance and gave us free run of the kit-kats. And happily so. It can't exactly go unsaid that there wasn't not an absence of  -ahem-  human flesh, so having an undisturbed environment meant exactly that- minimal disturbance...of all parties! 

Thinking back to how the project started, it was one of a few illuminating chats that ended up accidentally straying into private territory. Finding out how everyone has minute, idiosyncratic signatures on their daily toilet use started the wheels turning in my head. For Karen (sorry Karen), she told me she brushes her teeth on the toilet getting ready for bed. The multi-tasking routine, some people combine about 5 things at a time in the morning. This had to be part of her photo i thought...





And on the subject of the project's origins, it has of course occurred to me that asking 30 people to drop trow in the most private of ways is a big ask. So, from day one, i swore the promise. That not only would i include myself in the project, but my humiliation would have to be cumulatively maximal compared to everyone else. Something eye watering. Something that would allow a sigh of relief from the mouths of all my sitters. Wellll, that something was today.


dear oh dear
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