Tuesday 15 July 2014

Cleanliness is next to artyness OR the things you come across in a bathroom when you've got a camera with you.


You know what it's like ... you're out and about when you find yourself needing to use 'the facilities' so you take yourself off to the said facilities where, upon entering, you're suddenly whipping out your camera to photograph something surprising you've found there.

What do you mean you've never done such a thing?

Then I guess you haven't been to the National Centre for Craft & Design [NCCD in Sleaford] lately. Last week I opened up the door to their public loos to find this gazing back at me:
And naturally I reached into my bag for my camera!

Here's a better look at the description of The Toilet Project by Meekyoung Shin:
And, before you ask ... yes, I did wash my hands.

And yes, I did do so by using the soap sculpture.

I wet my hands first  ... then gave the top of its head a rub before lathering up!
It reminded me of ancient weather-worn Greek and Roman statues battered by the elements.

By the way, this isn't the only Toilet Project Meekyoung Shin has created, there apparently are/have been several more dotted around the UK and I'd love to hear from you if you've also been startled by a soap sculpture while doing your ablutions ...

For the record ... there's also one in the men's toilets at the NCCD [I sent James in as a roving reporter] and he duly reported back that the version in there was rather less eroded, less worn, less used, than the one I'd photographed in the ladies.

I'd rather not think too hard about the implications of this fact.

Let's all just hope that the men have been feeling more reserved about using a work of art to clean their hands and have been using the regular soap dispenser instead ...

Julie :-)

7 comments:

  1. Does NOT surprise me about the mens one. I love the idea of this sculpture... though I would then have needed to wash my hands again with dispenser soap - I'm one of those weirdo's that tries to open public loo toilets with my pinky for fear of touching the germs of those that never washed their hands :P

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  2. Wow - I am speechless! Jo x

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  3. I've never seen one of these but do think it's awesome. Thanks so much for sharing things with us that I probably would never have the opportunity to see or know about. Love your blog and your wonderful sense of humor! : )

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  4. That's fabulous. Will keep my eyes open for one near me!

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  5. Another quirky photo and detail which makes this such an interesting place to visit. The colour was the thing which hit me first! Good for you for taking part in the sculpture shaping.

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