Thursday, 20 October 2011

Please scroll down for "Tiles"






My Idea


Secret recordings is a continuation project I did where I secretly recorded conversations between myself and my friends and produced an installation which consisted of a small representation of my own living room where the recordings took place. I embroidered parts of the conversations we had onto the sofa, cushions, and a rug. I enjoyed producing the work and the secrecy of it so I wanted to continue working in a similar way, secretly recording conversations.

I will record and listen to conversations in a public place. This will either be the same location, or a number of different places. I would like to continue working in the same way with embroidery, and sewing text into an object, but keeping it a secret.


Ideas/Experimental


Conversations over coffee
Coffee cups




On a number of occasions I listened to conversations that took place whilst having a coffee in a public place like a local bar area, or coffee shop to see what was spoke about and to see how differently the tone and topic of conversation differed to another place like the toilets. I have included the lipstick on the coffee cup as one of the ladies who was talking was wearing lipstick and the image shows what her cup looked like.
I was pleasantly surprised to hear what different age ranges of people actually spoke about. For example there were two elderly ladies who walked into the area where I was sitting one morning, and they started talking about a friend of theirs and how they disliked being bitchy, which was exactly what they were doing, being bitchy. But it was like listening to teenagers, not elderly ladies.

I think for this idea to work, I would need to locate the coffee cups in the place in whih the conversations took place. The cups and conversation then becomes relevant to each other. If I were to use the sticky letters then they would eventually come off when the cup has been washed time after time. The text would then become something else, and that conversation would then be forgotten about.

When listening to conversations in the toilets, obviously it was just ladies talking. Whereas when in a public place men, women, and children were involved. I was more interested in what was spoke about in the toilets as I felt that some of the things would not be said in a place where lots of people could be listening. I will concentrate more on these conversations than the others.
I also recorded conversations whilst on a number of train journeys, but when I listened back to them I couldn't hear what was being said due to all the surrounding sounds and noises. Unfortunately I did not write down any of the conversations that took place on the train so I will not be using these conversations.



Toilet seat lettering




One conversation I listened to in the toilets involved two young ladies talking about make-up and one asking the other if she could use her lipstick and her eye liner. After listening to that I decided to try writing a little of what I heard in the items they were talking about. I tried writing in lipstick and in eye liner straight onto the toilet seat. I found that the eye liner I used didn't work very well on the plastic, the majority of it came off as I wrote with it. Also once the seats are cleaned properly, the text would be wiped off. In a way I could relate the rubbing off of the eye liner to conversations in general because once the subject is spoken about, it's then often forgotten about and disappears.




Conversations written on the underside of the toilet seat would not be seen when using the toilet by a lady, unless the person using the toilet lifted the seat to the use the toilet or maybe to clean the toilet. I could use this part of the toilet seat to hide secrets, or the conversations that were quietly spoken as if it were a secret.
If I were to produce these toilets seats for use, and I wanted the text to stay intact then I would need to consider a coating of resin that could coat the seat to keep the text in place, and also for hygiene reasons for cleaning the seats. 



I also tried scratching into the toilet seat using a needle. I found this to be quite difficult as I was holding the seat whilst trying to scratch the text into it, and the needle was difficult to hold and scratch at the same time with the needle being so small. I think it may have been easier to do if the toilet seat was attached to the toilet. I didn't think this idea worked very well as the text couldn't been seen unless it was touched or in a particular light. I think this way of working would also be very time consuming. I don't think I will be using this technique for the seats.
  


Another idea I tried was using pre-cut sticky letters. I took a few words from a conversation using the letters. I found it easy using the pre-cut letters as all I needed to do was put the letters together to make up the words. If I were to use the sticky letters, I could use different coloured letters to represent the different people talking. I think this would show that a conversation had taken place. I'm not sure if this is the effect I want to achieve as the conversation will be obvious, where as I am secretly listening to what is being said.



Drilling



Another idea I tried was hand drilling into the toilet seat. I found this to be most effective. To make sure I got all the letters the correct size and font, I printed off parts of the conversations and stuck the lettering to the seat using scellotape. I found this to be very helpful, rather than drilling free hand. I did find that the drilling was time consuming, but I got the desired effect, and that was to have the text perminant but not completely understandable. I like the idea that the viewer needs to get uo close to the seat.



Once all the text has been drilled, the above image shows how it looks. I found this to be really effective as I know that it is text and what it says, but to someone that doesn't know it could be a number of things. Maybe a pattern, or just random holes. The not knowing exactly what the text is meant to say could relate to the fact of not knowing that the conversation has taken place in the first place.


open toilet seat

When drilling on the top side of the toilet seat the holes make some sort of sense. When the toilet seat is then lifted it becomes something else. The text is un-readable and I don't think it looks like text.

This outcome reminds me of braille, and I feel like I need to touch the work.
The Braille system is a method that is widely used by people who are visually impaired to read and write, and was the first digital form of writing.

Above: Example of braille



Above: open toilet seat

After drilling the text onto the toilet seat, I tried threading the toilet seat to show that the holes were made up of words. I don't think this is the effect that I am trying to achieve as I think it becomes too obvious that it is text and a conversation has taken place. 
If I were to produce these seats for use with the threads, I would need to consider the health and safety aspects. Using the seats as they are now would not be hygienic as the couldn't be cleaned properly due to the hanging thread. I would need to cut all hanging thread and make sure it was all tied up. I would need to use a plastic coating to seal the thread and to make sure the seat could be cleaned.



I also tried drilling a different style font. The font I used here as shown above was a script type face. I found this style quite difficult to drill as I had to try and make sure the drill holes were not too close together, which I found I did do in a couple of places. I think it's a good idea to have the different fonts for the different spoken parts of the conversations, but I found this font to be more time consuming. I also found that this font was easy to read and the threading wasn't needed. I don't want the text to be read too easily.



Toilet seat in place





When the toilet seat is up, the text which has been made by drilling and producing the holes cannot be read. I also found that when standing in different locations, when the toilet seat was down, some of the drilled holes could not be seen until getting closer to the seat.



Text on Text



I also tried experimenting with drilling text on top of text. The above image shows the outcome. I did find that I was unable to read the text that was overlapped, and also a few of the holes became bigger holes when drilling over an existing one.
I think this idea could possibly work well if I were to thread the first bit of text when drilled, and then drill the second text and then thread that. The text would not be readable, but it would show conversation on conversation, on conversation. The seat would then become full of thread. Again I would need to consider the health and safety.
I think the idea of threading would work better on a different object rather than a toilet seat, as embroidery is not associated with toilet seats. This is something to consider for future projects.




Placing text



I found drilling the above toilet seat more difficult than the others due to where I located the text. The location of the text differs slightly to the above picture. I decided to start each word on the edge of the seat which made it more difficult to drill. I found the drill had a tendancy to slip.





Text on the door

 

As well as experimenting with the other ideas, I tried using the sticky letters on windows and doors. I think this idea would only be successful if the text from the conversations related to the place in which the text was. For example; if a conversation took place outside, then the text would have to be outside in that area. From a distance the text on the door can't be seen. This could be due to it being dark outside, and the lettering being black.



The text is more visible in the day light





Text on the wall




For this idea I could use different coloured text for different parts of the conversation. I am not as keen on this idea as the conversations are too obvious.




Library






I did visit the library on one occasion to see what conversations, if any took place. Unfortunately most of what I heard was shushing by parents to children. This is why I have used the children's book. I used a needle to pierce the text through the pages, but I didn't find this to be very effective. It was also quite difficult using the needle.


Toilets where I listened to most conversations




The above photos show the toilets where I listened to the majority of conversations at a local pub in town near to where I live. There are four toilets either side and then one disabled toilet at the entrance of the ladies toilets.




Research


Conversations

Conversation is a form of interactive, spontaneous communication between two or more people who are following rules of etiquette.
Conversations are interactive because contributions to a conversation are response reactions to what has previously been said. Conversations are spontaneous because a conversation proceeds, to some extent, and in some way, unpredictably.

For more information visit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conversation



A secret is something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others....



I think sometimes people need to get things off their chest as keeping secrets often prevents people from dealing with the problem at hand. Keeping secrets could lead to increased stress, anxiety, and it often makes people think about the issue more frequently. I think this project is a good way for people to expose their secrets without anyone knowing who’s said what, or knowing who the secret is about. Revealing secrets can reduce stress, it helps people let go of an issue and think about it more clearly.

I have included the "secret" research as I sometimes think that people have certain conversations and say things when they think no-one else is listening or when they are in a more secluded place, ie: the toilets. I think different circumstances can make people say things, for example, drinking on a night out.




Serena Korda






The Library of Secrets




The Library of Secrets was a mobile library conceived from the love of keeping and finding things amongst the pages of books. The Library of Secrets was there for visitors to leave their thoughts, wisdoms and secrets amongst the pages of one or more of the 400 books in its collection. Peruse the shelves for favourite 19th or 20th century classic or  just rummage through the books to find other peoples secrets.

I visited the library of secrets at The New Walsall Art Gallery in 2009 and very much enjoyed looking through the different books and reading the secrets that people had left in the pages. I read a number of different secrets and after reading them I could understand why people keep certain things to themselves.



 

Claire Coles








Couture Embroidered Wallpaper


Claire’s couture wallpapers transform walls into individual works of art. Each design plays with texture and scale to create a rich opulent feel to any setting. Fragments of hand-sourced vintage wallpapers are layered and intricately embroidered with silks and leather to create a range of patterns and scenes.

Working form her West London show room, Claire designs and produces bespoke embroidered wallpapers for private clients and commercial projects. All wallpapers are designed and handmade in house. These luxury wallpapers are made to order, and are promoted through design/craft fairs and galleries.  
Alongside this luxury collection of wallpapers, Claire designs imagery for the gift market. In 2008 she launched a range of gift cards which are sold through Paperchase and independent stores.


Claire Coles

I think from a distance the embroidered work looks like its part of the original wallpaper design, until closer inspection of the wallpaper shows where the intricacy of the embroidery and layers of wallpaper can be seen. I like that each piece of her work is unique and not a mass produced wallpaper.
I have used embroidery to show text and words from conversations where as Claire uses her embroidery skills in a different sense.




Post Secret

 




PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard.
I think sometimes people need to get things off their chest, and I think this project is a good way for people to expose their secrets without anyone knowing who’s said what, or knowing who the secret is about.



Sarah Greaves




I'm alright now chair: Embroidered wooden chair




Toaster: Embroidered toaster and bread.


Sarah Greaves is a Manchester based artist who uses embroidery to graffiti onto everyday objects.


 
Sarah Greaves uses the traditional craft of embroidery to vandalize and graffiti everyday objects with emotive, political and thoughtful text. Fridges, doors, food and sinks become the canvases for hidden thoughts. Sarah Greaves is an artist whose practice crosses art-forms. The delicate feminine craft of embroidery is combined with the vandalizing qualities of graffiti.
Intangible thoughts become permanently graffitied onto these familiar, domestic objects, suggesting a deeper relationship, touching on intimate and personal thoughts.

I can relate my own practice to Sarahs as I drilled a number of toilet seats with texts from conversations that I have secretly listened to.




Graffiti




Juan de Oñate's inscription at El Morro National Monument, 1605, with later graffiti

Graffiti (singular: graffito; the plural is used as a mas noun) is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property. Graffiti is sometimes regarded as a form of art and other times regarded as unsightly damage or unwanted.


The word graffiti comes from the Italian word graffito, meaning “scratch”. Graffiti is known to have been around since the beginning of mankind. Years ago as times evolved, different techniques of graffiti were used. Carving into the cave walls using bones or stones, the stencil and spray technique which involved blowing coloured powder through hollow bones. The graffiti is said to be an advertisement for prostitution. Located near to a walkway, the graffiti shows a hand print that vaguely resembles a heart, along with a footprint and a number. This is believed to indicate a brothel that was nearby, with the hand print symbolising payment.


Today's Graffiti


Graffiti Law
The laws on public property are very strict and anyone caught doing graffiti can be arrested and prosecuted under the Criminal Damage Act 1971. Offenders can be fined up to £5,000 if the damage caused is less than £5,000 or they may be given a community service order instead of a fine.
“It is an offence to mark graffiti on property that can be seen by the public unless the owner has given you permission.” 
If I were to create my own cubicle and write on the walls that would be fine as it would be my own proerty. Whereas if I were to do site specific work, I would need to get permission off the owner to write in the cubicals.

For further information:


An art gallery has been blasted for wasting taxpayer cash after signing up an artist to paint graffiti on toilet walls.


 

Susan Collis











Susan Collis is a contemporary artist who produces work that is not what it appears to be. A piece of her work consists of a blue work overall dappled with paint drips. On closer inspection it reveals that the paint drips are actually embroidered thread made to look like paint. She creates screws which are made from black diamonds, 18 carat gold, and sapphire.

Another piece of her work is a wooden table stained with paint can splatters. But it is not paint it is in fact made of silvers and pearl laminate. And a shoppers bag is not what it seems when on closer inspection it is in fact paper which has been coloured in with pencil and biro.

Collis’ work fascinates me in the sense of things not being what they appear to be. The viewer has to interact with the work by getting up close to see the effort and detail she has gone too with her work. At first glance some of the pieces of work look like items that a painter/decorator has left behind and unless I knew what the work involved I don’t think I would give it a second look after mistaking them for forgotten pieces.
The materials she uses are delicate materials and costly, but the way in which she creates her works like the screw for example which is made from white gold would be  rather costly, but to buy a screw it would be pennies.
I find the the materials and embroidery is delicate and “feminine” whilst using some domestic items.
I can relate to Susan Collis’ work as I used a domestic setting for a piece of work, and using embroidery I had sewn words into the items. I think my embroidered text was more obvious to the viewer compared the Collis’ work.
I think the cushions I produced on my previous work relate more to her work in the sense of not seeing something until closer inspection.
I feel the toilet seats I have produced relate to her work as the conversations on the seats are not totally understandable as they consist of holes. Also from a distance, the holes on some of the seats cannot be seen until on closer inspection.


Embroidery


Traditional Embroidery
 
Embroidery is the art or handicraft of decorating fabric or other materials with needle and thread or yarn.
I think nowadays embroidery work can be produced using materials other than a having to use a needle and thread. For example I would say drilling holes into a material like plastic, and hand treading a material through the holes would be a type of embroidery. I would call this embroidery as the same technique is still being used, it is the equipment that is different.
I am interested in embroidery because I think a number of different materials can be used and experimented with, and I don’t think you have to stick to a needle and thread and embroider a picture.
The work I am interested in producing is text related, whether it be sewing words from conversations onto different materials and objects, or the text itself. I have used thread on paper and plastic and I am working in the same way in which I would if I was embroidering on to a cotton material. I would therefore in my opinion still class the work I have produced as embroidery.




Inna Forostyuk


Embroidered Easter Eggs


Ukrainian Easter eggs are known throughout the world for their complex designs and beautiful artwork, but Ukrainian artist Forostyuk Inna decided to forgo the usual wax and dye methods and opted to cross stitch her eggs instead. No one seems to be quite sure about the methods she used to create these cool designs, but that only serves to make them that much more incredible.

I have included the embroidered eggs as I am showing another example of an object that can be embroidered. 


Tracey Emin




Tracey Emin: Everyone I Ever Slept With. 1995

 Everyone I Have Ever Slept With 1963–1995 (1995), also known as "The Tent", was an artwork created by Tracey Emin. The work was a tent with the appliqued names of literally everyone she had ever slept with, but not necessarily in the sexual sense. Everyone I Have Ever Slept With 1963–1995 was a tent appliqued with 102 names of the people she had slept with up to the time of its creation in 1995. The title is often misinterpreted as a euphemism indicating sexual partners and the work termed "a list of all the people that Emin has ever had sex with", but is in fact intended more inclusively.




Tilleke Schwarz


In The Woods: 2002

Losing our memory; 1998

Taken from Tilleke's web page:
My work is a mixture of graphic quality, content and fooling around. The humour in my work is typical for my Jewish background: a mixture of a laugh and a tear. Folk art and daily life are great sources for inspiration. I use mixed media with a focus on embroidery on linen and on drawings and paintings.
My work can be understood as a kind of visual poetry. It is a mixture of contemporary influences, graffiti, icons, texts and traditional images from samplers. The embroidery contains narrative elements. Not really complete stories, with a beginning, a storyline, and an end. On the contrary, the narrative structures are used as a form of communication with the viewer.
The viewer is invited to decipher connections or to create them. The viewer may assemble the stories and to produce chronological and causal structures. Actually the viewer might step into the role of the "author". It can become a kind of play between the viewer and me. The work also relates
to the history of humanity that is determined through stories.


For more information visit:
http://www.tillekeschwarz.com/index.html





In Conversation with Boys that Sew





Trevor Pitt hosts an evening of lively conversation with men, including Stewart Easton, who have taken to needle and thread to innovate artistically, conceptually and practically in the creative use of stitch.
David Littler is an artist, curator, educator and DJ currently based in Berlin. In 2007 he initiated sampler-cultureclash - an international collective of dj’s, embroiderers, sound artists, textile designers, dancers, spoken word artists, curators and graffiti artists. Together they explore the connections between textiles and sound and the cultures of embroidery and dj-ing using the common word “sampler” as the starting point for investigation.
Jamie Chalmers (AKA Mr X Stitch) is on a mission is to bring the world of cross stitch and embroidery to a whole new audience. He has been cross stitching for years and really believes in the benefits of stitching, both from a relaxation and a sustainability perspective. Mr X Stitch was started in 2008 as a way of highlighting cross stitch patterns that he was excited about, and has evolved into a terrific resource showcasing the best in new needlecraft and textiles.
Stewart Easton is a coventry based artist currently working in hand embroidery and digital print on fabric. His work is focused on stitch and narrative using authorial illustration to create large scale embroidered panels. Using folk song and story as a starting point Easton weaves story-based narratives, utilising the space of a single panel to explore time, movement and transition within his tapestry based works.





Drink Shop & Do


Drink Shop & Do

We are a design shop and café bar selling products from emerging designers alongside vintage furniture and home wares. Everything is for sale: from designer crafts, vintage tea sets, 1950's dressers and unusual tables and chairs, to hand-made cakes, ice creams, specialty teas, kitsch finger sandwiches, bottled beers and cocktails. We're open for lunch, afternoon tea, cocktail o'clock and different things to 'Do' like 'Play with Clay 80's Style' and 'Dot to Dot to Disco'. These are mostly free and require no skills whatsoever—check the DO tab so see what’s on. We're tucked away just 2 minutes from Kings Cross station in an old Victorian bathhouse.

How it all started

Kristie and Coralie met on their first day of secondary school and have been friends ever since. One spring time afternoon spent discussing what would really make them happy…
Kristie wanted to have a place where everything was pretty and all those pretty things were for sale. Where you could have tea, cake, crumpets or cocktails whilst playing scrabble and above all an old fashioned sweet shop. Coralie wanted a shop full of beautiful things from local designers but not a stuffy one where you couldn't touch anything. One where people could have a drink and a laugh and maybe do a bit of colouring in or something vaguely crafty.
I feel that drink shop do could be a good commercial place for me to approach with my toilet seats. I have recently signed up to their mailing list and I am in the process of getting in touch. 


For more information visit:
http://drinkshopdo.com/Drink,_Shop_%26_Do/Drink,_Shop_%26_Do_%E2%80%94_Home.html



Douglas Gordon




I have included Douglas Gordon as he has used text in his work, which he has taken from spoken words....
"I always liked the idea that words, which are supposed to be concrete, when spoken by a different person at a different time can have a completely different meaning." Douglas Gordon
Douglas Gordon's work embraces a wide-range of media including video, photographic, audio and text-based works. A defining feature of Gordon's approach is an acute sensitivity to the associative power, whether actual or potential, of a particular site. In 2009, he was commissioned to create a site-specific work at Tate Britain, to be installed in the Octagon and alongside Art and the Subline, a display of historic sublime works in the adjacent gallery. These spaces are remarkable for their austere, neo-classical grandeur, with barrel-vaulted ceilings and a central dome designed to make the gallery a 'temple of art'. Gordon's response was to utilise and animate the architecture itself with a complex yet cohesive installation of over eighty text-based works entitled Pretty much every word written, spoken, heard, overheard from 1989… (2010).
On one level, the effect seems to articulate Gordon's idea of art operating as 'a dialogue between artist and viewer', hence many of the texts address us directly, employing 'I', 'You' and 'We'. On another, it underlines the artist's fascination with language and its potential for ambiguity, obscurity and multiple meanings. As the title suggests, the origins and style of these texts are wide-ranging, both personal and universal. Some have a rhetorical or Biblical tone, such as the declamatory 'We Are Evil' on the floor of the Octagon, or the contemplative rendering of 'Read the Word…Hear the Voice' on the ceiling above the historic painting display.
For more information:




Small example of typefaces



Edwardian Script ITC
Stencil
Impact
Arial
Gulim
Lucida Handwriting
Times New Roman
Harlow Solid Italic
Arial Rounded MT Bold
Harrington


I could use different type faces to represent different parts of conversations that have been spoken. I think by doing this the words will become more obvious that a conversation has taken place, and will show how many people are involved in the conversation. The different fonts could give an indication of how the words were spoken, for example I could use the
IMPACT type face to represent words that have been shouted, or been quite abrupt. I could use a softer type face like
Lucida handwriting for a normal spoken conversation.







Toilet Seats


A toilet seat is a hinged unit consisting of a seat and a lid which is bolted onto a toilet bowl for a flush toilet. A toilet seat consists of the seat itself which may be contoured for the user to sit on, and the lid, which covers the toilet when it is not in use.
For further information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toilet_seat




The above image shows a toilet seat band which is used on public toilets and shows that the toilet has been cleaned. This is something that I could have tried by putting a band with parts of conversations on. This is not a permanant thing and can be thrown away and replaced. I don't think this would be as effective as the drilling of text as the text will be easily read and that is not what I wanted to acheive.

Another idea could have been to write text onto toilet seat covers, bu then I think that would defeat the object of the product as it would no longer be hygienic as it would have been handled and touched. I have found this product to be quite expensive to buy.

Images from:
http://www.hygienesuppliesdirect.com/sub/hygienic_toilet_seat_covers




Location Of Work




I have located my work on site at Ruskin Hall. This is not the location in which I secretly listened to the conversations, but it is an imitation of the place.
I did consider handing the seats on the wall but I felt that this did not relate to the seats, as toilet seat belong on a toilet and not on a wall.
I think locating the seats in the pub may have been better as that is where I listened to the majority of the conversations. I think if I did locate the seats in that location then I would have need to produce a seat for every cubicle. I don't think it would have the same effect if I were to do just two or three. I think the toilet seats still work well in this location.




One toilet seat which I have made consists of a phone conversation that a lady was having in the cubical next to me, so I only got to hear one part of the conversation. I could gather what the conversation was about from what she was saying. Therefore this toilet seat contains only half a conversation. For the above toilet seat I have drilled on the top of the seat so the lid needs to be down so that the text can be read.


Image 1



Image 2


The other two toilet seat conversations are between two people in two separate cubicles so the text goes from one seat to the other. I think this worked well as you have to go from one seat to the other to try and work out what the conversation is about. The toilet seat in image 1, I drilled the conversation on the inside lid of the seat. This means the toilet seat lid needs to be left up so that the text can be understood.
The toilet seat in image 2, I drilled on the bottom part of the toilet seat, and the text can only be seen when the top lid is up.


Artist Statement



I have recorded, and listened to a number of conversations in different public places. I have tried transcription, writing down the conversation as it was taking place. Listening to some conversations I found quite challenging trying to keep up with what was being said. By doing this I found that when reading the conversation back to myself, I found that the conversations didn't make much sense and it jumped from one thing to another as I missed parts of what was being said.

My initial idea was to do an installation piece and recreate one toilet cubical and have a whole range of conversations going on in one cubical, having text on the toilet seat and graffiti writing on the walls. To do this I would need to build fake walls, and get an unused toilet system. This is when I started to re-think my ideas and came up with the idea of focusing on the toilet seats themselves.

I feel that the seats have worked well, and I have got the outcome I wanted. The only thing would be for the work to be more site specific, and be located in the pub where I listened to the conversations. The down side is that I didn't have enough time to produce as many seats as I initially wanted to. I found that drilling the individual seats became very time consuming. If I were to thread the text then this would take more time, so I would need to make sure I had sufficient time to produce the seats.

I like the fact that the text is hard to read and not everyone will be able to understand the conversation, and the viewer would need to interact with the work and get up close. (providing that the toilet is clean)

I did find that the seat became sharp in places where I had drilled the holes. I used sandpaper to try and get rid of the sharpness, but I found that this scratched the surface of the toilet seats which I wasn't very pleased with as it is not aesthetically pleasing. This cannot be seen when the seat is in the correct position for reading the text. If I were to do the seats again, I would need to find another way of taking the sharp edges off without scratching the surface.

I would like to continue with this project and take it further. I would like to use a wider range of object and try drilling into tables or chairs that people have sat on whilst having a conversation. I would also consider embroidering the objects and drilling text over text and experiment with that further. I think if I did have more time then I could have produced more seats.




Tiles
(Continuation from secret recordings)



Further Ideas


Thinking about continuing with listening to and recording conversations......

Capturing the nation in conversation to build a unique picture of our lives today and preserve it for future generations.
We are asking people up and down the country to share their thoughts and feelings in a recorded conversation with a loved one or relative. What you talk about is up to you.



Facebook
Becoming a stalker



Continuing with the conversation idea, I thought about using the conversations that people have on Facebook, or using the Facebook status' - following what someone is doing on Facebook. One person or several. Maybe printing it off so that it becomes an actual book.....

Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook Inc. As of February 2012[update], Facebook has more than 845 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as friends, and exchange messages, including automatic notifications when they update their profile. Additionally, users may join common-interest user groups, organized by workplace, school or college, or other characteristics, and categorize their friends into lists such as "People From Work" or "Close Friends". The name of the service stems from the colloquial name for the book given to students at the start of the academic year by some university administrations in the United States to help students get to know each other. Facebook allows any users who declare themselves to be at least 13 years old to become registered users of the site.


Example of Facebook Staus (my friend on Facebook)



David Ward

March 12



Some ppl need 2 fuckin die here babe thinkin there little world is all so shit So just fuck em weave got each other now n 4eva I love u so much xxxxxxxxx



Laurie Ward omg, youre so kind with your words!! lol!! Yes we have, love you too xxxxxx



Laurie Ward updated her cover photo
11th March 2012

Laurie Ward best photo I have of rubie!!!!!!!! She woke up from her nap & her dummy was stuck in her hair!!!! Lmao!! Love her to bits xxxxxxxx

Julia Robison Ultra cute :) xxx

Doreen Chadbund Mcgowan ahhh



Laurie Ward
March 11

Well after all that blah, blah, blah!!! Im gonna have to finish daves cider while hes at work!!! lol, love you babe xxx – with Dave Ward



Laurie Ward
March 11

Had a fab wknd!! I could never had imagined this time last year I would be this happy!! Its amazing when you learn to let go of the past & forgive, things can change!! Yes things aren’t perfect, and who is???!!! And ive had to make changes myself! But not for the wrong reasons!! I know people may think we wont last? But I can honestly say I truly am happy & madly in love with Dave Ward and always will be!!!!


Marie Bennett that’s so lovely….xxxx

Laurie Ward thanks, im bit merry! Been for family meal today & rays of sunshine got my vino head on!! Lol!! But it is true!! Xxxx

Sam Badham Ahh that’s really sweet x x

Sally Brookes Well said law so glad ur happy xx

Kay Fatima-Gill Awww this is such a lovely status, so nice to see ppl declaring their love n not holding back! Really happy for u hun, being in love is one of the best feelings! Xx

If doing this I would need to continuously check Facebook to see if anything has been updated, changed, or added to. I would then be acting like a stalker and following a person/people on Facebook and recording what and when they are doing something. The information would then be logged.


Why I thought this idea didnt work....it's not private because I can see the conversations, facebook is for sharing and showing what people want to see. I could however, make friends with people I don't know and record the conversations that the unknown "friends" are having. I disliked this idea as that person would be able to see my profile and any photos and information I have. Unless I created a fake profile. Either way I was unsure whether this idea would work.


7 ways to spot a chronic Facebook stalker
http://allfacebook.com/chronic-facebook-stalker_b37856


Facebook timeline - comments
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/igeneration/facebook-timeline-a-stalkers-paradise-mass-exodus-on-the-way/12931




Stalking - "Stalking is a term commonly used to refer to unwanted and obsessive attention by an individual or group to another person. Stalking behaviors are related to harassment and intimidation and may include following the victim in person and/or monitoring them. The word stalking is used, with some differing meanings, in psychology and psychiatry and also in some legal jurisdictions as a term for a criminal offence."


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stalking




One Hour Photo (Film)






Middle aged Sy Parrish works as a technician at a one hour photo lab located in a SavMart store in a suburban mall. Sy is a lonely man, never having had any friends. He knows much about his customers through the photographs they have developed. But he knows more about the Yorkin family - specifically Nina Yorkin and her adolescent son Jake Yorkin, the two in the family who drop off and pick up the family's photofinishing - than anyone else, the family about who he is obsessed. Nina's husband, Will Yorkin, is incidental to his obsession since Sy has only seen him in photographs. Sy's obsession includes fantasizing about being their favorite "Uncle Sy". He has even been making an extra set of prints for himself of all of their photographs since Jake was a newborn. After an incident at work and after Sy finds out more about the family through a set of photographs, he decides to right the injustices he sees in the only way he knows how. His actions demonstrate his true mental state.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0265459/plotsummary







Being a nosey neighbour


 Image 1
 Image 2
Image 3



Image 4
Image 5
 Image 6
 Image 7
Image 8
Image 9



I wanted to try being a nosey neighbour and take photos at certain intervals to record what was happening in my street. Images 1,2, and 3 above were taken from my kitchen window, and taken 20 minutes apart for an hour. Images 4 - 9 were taken from the front bedroom looking out onto another road, 10 minutes apart. Nothing happened in the time that the pictures were taken, and as I live on a quiet road there were no people about, just a couple of cars. This could work better if I were to take a lot more photos closer together maybe every 5 minutes, and for a longer period of time, maybe a whole day and then have fast amount of photos like the photos in the film "One Hour Photo".






Tiles


Still keeping on the same line as the toilet seats, I started thinking about things in the toilets like the tiles on the floors and walls and trying to incorporate them.....






I listened to part of a conversation that took place in a local toilet and decided to make a stencil of the text using a standard word font, and using a marker pen I applied it to a ceramic tile. The above images show the results. I found this to be effective but it was very time consuming cutting out the stencils. If I were to go with this idea I could use different fonts (see above in secret recordings) to correspond with different people talking.






After cutting out the stencils of text I tried using the cut out letters and applying them to another tile. This didnt work very well as the letters kept peeling, and also this would not be good for commercial use unless a protective layer could be applied over the text.


I did try cleaning the marker pen off the tiles as if they were used in a public toilet then they would be cleaned on a regular basis. I found that the longer the pen was on the tile, the harder it was to get it off and it would need scrubbing. These tiles would then become a temporary piece of work. New pieces of text could be applied once the original text had been wiped away. 


Image 1

Image 2

Thinking about the drilled toilet seats I produced,(see top of blog) I decided to try and drill a tile in a similar way. I found it quite difficult as the only drill bit I could find at that time was a 4mm, and I found it was too big for the tile and the stencil. The holes were drilling too close to each other when drilling letters which would then crack the tile. This happened on a number of tiles. I also found it was very time consuming drilling the holes. Image 1 shows the stencil I used on the tile, and image 2 shows the drilled holes when the stencil is removed. The top holes have been partially drilled and the bottom holes have been drilled all the way through. If I were to go with this idea then I would either need to use bigger tiles, a smaller drill bit, and use a machine to drill the holes rather than use a hand drill. If I were to continue with idea and partially drill the holes I would need to make sure I didn't drill all the way through.


In the toilets


The images below show a selection of locations where the tiles were in the toilets ready for people to draw or write on........
The majority of the tiles were produced at a friends party, where I took advantage of using the toilets and the amount of people there. I did end up with a number of broken tiles through the night......




 The above images show where some of the tiles were placed in the toilet cubicles ready for people to draw/write on.

 Tiles and pens on the sink in the men's toilets



 Above; Tiles placed on the sinks and in the cubicle in the  toilets.


 Above; men's urinals with tiles in between
(Ended up with quite a few broken tiles)


A couple of tiles placed in the condom machine to see if any condom related tiles are made.




Image and text tiles



Protesters Draw 220ft Penis on Russian Drawbridge




From Metro.co.uk

In a piece of cutting edge political commentary, a group of artists have protested about heightened securitu in the Russian city of St Petersburg by drawing a giant 220ft long penis on a drawbridge.
For more information visit;

People draw objects and images of the same/similar things for different reasons.


Below are a select few of the 126 tiles that were produced by males and females whilst in the toilets....



































DIY Photo TILES

Photographic tiles



Further Research

Toilet graffiti


As one graffiti artist once wrote, “since writing on toilet walls is done neither for critical acclaim, nor financial rewards, it is the purest form of art”.
Rampant among public toilets around the world, whether they be in schools, airports, pubs or clubs, the isolated cubicle is enough to bring out one’s creative side. Suddenly the toilet wall becomes their canvas, and the marker pen they just so happen to have on themselves their brush.
From philosophical ponderings and poems, to analysis of current affairs, smutty jokes and illustrations – nothing is out of bounds, and alcohol or drugs only serve to inspire the artist’s stream of consciousness, resulting in art which defies all logic yet offers a truly fascinating glimpse into the human psyche.
http://www.toiletgraffiti.co.uk/category/graffiti/  

I think that toilet graffiti gives people the opportunity to draw or write whatever they wish as no-one knows who has done it or why. It allows them to express what thoughts, feelings or imagination they may have. 




Below is a number of links I came across whilst searching for information on toilet graffiti.



Poor lonesome dick become the ladies favourite

I came across the above clip whilst searching for toilet graffiti. It takes on another form of toilet graffiti, it is graffiti but it has the purpose of promoting safe sex.
http://www.kontraband.com/videos/21196/Toilet-Graffiti/ 



Toiley graffiti - boys vs girls


The above clip is from youtube, it shows boy vs girls toilets when it comes to graffiti. "In a popular pub in Sydney Australia, we compare the graffiti in the men's toilets with the women's".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06OQlh4X1hs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXPvZuCq5og






Documentary





Nedko Solakov



Toilettes, 2006
Felt pen, handwritten texts on various surfaces in the toilets 


of Les Abattoirs Museum



Toilets is recreated at Ikon, a piece that involves inscriptions on and around fittings in the ladies and gents lavatories. 


Artist to daub graffiti on toilet walls at Birmingham's Ikon Gallery

http://www.sundaymercury.net/news/midlands-news/2011/09/18/artist-to-daub-graffiti-on-toilet-walls-at-birmingham-s-ikon-gallery-66331-29442218/




Writing random notes whilst in the bathroom similar to Nedko Solakov drawings on the toilet tiles.



Copying the drawn tiles and recreating the images and text onto the bathroom wall tiles to give an idea how they would look.


(Above) Using my bathroom tiled wall, I re-drew the penis from one of the original tiles to show how a wall would look if the tiles were to sell to fill a wall.



A selection of the drawn tiles placed together




Invader
Space Invader in Amsterdam

Invader is a French urban artist who pastes up characters from and inspired by the 1978 arcade game Space Invaders game, made up of small coloured square mosaic tiles that form a space invader character mural. He does this in cities across the world, then documents this as an "Invasion", with books and maps of where to find each invader.

I find this work to be another interesting way of using tiles. If I were to extend this project I could try creating similar coloured tiles which when put together would make one image, like a mosaic.


Francis Alys
Following


Square



The initial concept for a project often emerges during a walk. As an artist, my position is akin to that of a passer-by constantly trying to situate myself in a moving environment.
My work is a succession of notes and guides.





HOW TO TILE


Below are a few of the many links that I could use to show me how to tile a wall or floor. These would be useful if I were to use all the tiles, and create a tiled wall with them;


http://uktv.co.uk/home/stepbystep/aid/99
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2008/mar/01/diy.homes22
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XizEuy1tq68



Above; How to tile a wall

Above; How to grout tiles



Similarity




The above image is one of the tiles that were produced. It could have been a male or a female that drew the image, as it is very similar to Tracey Emin's drawing, but this could have a very different meaning behind it compared to Tracey Emins.




Tracey Emin's Suffer Love II, 2009. Photograph: Tracey Emin. Courtesy White Cube

"This is a drawing I did last month, for my show at White Cube. It's important to me that the drawing looks like a woman and not a girl. In my whole new set of drawings, at no time do you ever see the woman's face. I want her to be a lone sexual entity. Love doesn't always have to be about loving other people. And sometimes we can really loathe ourselves. Forgiving doesn't become easier with age."
"I enjoyed making this series because I somehow felt removed from it. And even though it is an erotic subject, I even felt distant from the sexuality of the pictures. It was almost like I was trying to get to the bottom of something, understand something - what it means to be a woman, a single entity and feminine. There is no shock or offence intended. They were made for me, trying to deal with something that is going on in my mind. And that's the beautiful thing about drawing: it's intimate, like handwriting, and the dialogue is between the paper and me. One day I could write a poem; the next I could draw that poem. If I were left alone on a desert island I would still have the need to draw"
http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2009/may/25/tracey-emin-drawing-art



Sand Blasting


"Sandblasting is a general term used to describe the act of propelling very fine bits of material at high-velocity to clean or etch a surface". 


For more information on sandblasting visit;
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-sandblasting.htm






 Image 1

 Image 2

Image 3

Image 1 is the original tile that had been drawn on using a porcelain pen. I took the image and recreated it using vinyl to make a "penis" stencil to see if I could sand blast a number of terracotta tiles. Images 2 and 3 show how I used both parts of the stencil.


Tiles after being sand-blasted



Other sand-blasted tiles


Sand-basted tile before taking off the vinyl




These tiles were produced in the same way as the above tiles, with the images taken from the original drawn tiles.




I tried sand blasting a different type of tile to the terracotta tile but I found that it didn't work. There was no visible difference.





Idris Khan


Idris Khan; Seven Times



Seven Times, a monumental floor installation that consists of 144 sandblasted cubes made of oil-sealed steel. Arranged in a grid the work replicates the exact dimension of the footprint of the kaaba. The Kaaba (literally “the cube” in Arabic)……..Each cube in Seven Times is sandblasted to inscribe the Arabic prayers that Muslims perform five times a day. Through this technique, what remains is a soft, poetic mark made through a process of aggressive removal of surface…
For more information visit;



Pablo Picasso
Childlike Drawings












There were a number of tiles which were drawn on that looked childlike, like the above image. I found most of the drawings were very linear. 


Karl Andre
sand blasted tiles

(unable to find info.....)








Out and About
out of context



I tried locating some of the tiles back into the toilets. These tiles were placed along the skirting in one set of toilets but I found that they kept slipping off, and unfortunately I didn't have anything to stick them with. 







I tried positioning the tiles at the back of this sink and they would have fit perfectly at the back but unfortunately they did not stay in place so fell and broke.
I think the tiles would look affective as a splash back in the toilets, or maybe even a kitchen.






I located the "target" tile in a couple of trees, in reference to men (and possibly women) urinating or masturbating up/against a tree and having a target to aim at. 






Lichfield Cathederal



"Welcome to Lichfield Cathedral! It is one of the oldest places of Christian worship in Britain, and the burial place of the great Anglo-Saxon missionary Bishop, St Chad.

The Cathedral has a rich history, reflected in its architecture and treasures, and, as a place of great beauty, it continues to inspire and encourage all who visit it as tourists, pilgrims or worshippers.

As the symbolic centre and Mother Church of the Church of England Diocese of Lichfield, we are committed to the daily offering of worship and prayer to God, and to the offering of spiritual nourishment and space to all who come on their own journey of search and discovery.

As a community, the Cathedral sets high store by its welcome and hospitality, in this it tries to be faithful to the friendship and freedom given in the good news of Jesus Christ. Do come and visit.
We will be delighted to see you."

The Very Revd Adrian Dorber
Dean of Lichfield 

http://www.lichfield-cathedral.org/Welcome/about.html





I took a select few of the tiles to Lichfield Cathedral to put the tiles out of context. 
This tile was place inside the cathedral at the bottom of one of the huge collums.




This tile is the "vagina" tile. I placed this on one of the pew seats that was in one of the Cathedral rooms to represent a female sitting there.



One of the "penis" tiles (located towards the bottom left of the photo), taken outside of the cathedral. I think if it was left there, it would most likely go unnoticed as it is rather small in comparison and your attention is on the décor and detailing of the figures. 



I didn't take many photos of the tiles at the Cathedral as I felt I was being disrespectful towards the Cathedral and the people who were there.






I tried locating some of the tiles on a toilet floor. I felt that this did not work well on this floor as the floor tiles were too big compared to my tiles, and there was too much of a contrast between them.






I think this location works better than the previous due to the fact that the tiles are of a similar colour. These tiles are leant against the wall, and not flat on the floor like above.






Toilet, sink location



In these toilets I tried putting some tiles on the window ledge to see how they would look located in a different place, I felt that this did not work as the tiles were too big for the ledge. It could possibly work if smaller tiles were used.







I tried placing some of the tiles on my bathroom floor to see how it would look. I found it didn't quite work as I would need to get the tiles cut so that they fit around the toilet. 

Although I do think they look effective on the floor. It could also be something for the person using the toilet to look at/read whilst on the toilet if the tiles were the other way around.









Graffiti work in Tamworth and my copied "graffiti " tiles.


I wanted to put "graffiti" against graffiti. I found that the painted graffiti wall over powered my tiles. 


Sex Shop


I had the idea of showing my tiles in a similar context to what they were and thought about approaching the local sex shop.
I did approach a local sex shop to see if I could put a few of my tiles on their shelf and take some pictures. The first lady I spoke to and explained what I wanted to do said I would need to go back to the shop when her manager was there. She said she would think her manager would love the idea. When I went back to the shop the manager spoke to the head of the business and they declined. They said I was not allowed due to their products being in the photographs and being show.





Installing/Positioning of work
Trial and Error


When deciding on the positioning of the sand blasted tiles, I decided to scan and print them, this meant I could use the cut out paper as many times as I needed and move them about without using the actual tiles. The only down side to this is that the penis' do not stand out very well. The actual tiles are much clearer.








In the above image the tiles are placed next to each other with the penis' pointing up towards each other at a slight angle, like an erect penis. With this positioning of the tiles I feel it has reference to men comparing the size of their penis against one another. 




The penis's in this image are pointing down towards each other. This could still reference the comparison, but not with an "erection".




Using the scanned paper copies of the tiles I experimented with positioning the tiles in different places. This image shows the penis' pointed towards each other at an angle which is why I have referenced Michael Angelo's Adam and the pointing fingers. Adam is a male, and God is painted as a male, my tiles are a representation of two males, (two Penis').



Michael Angelo - Adam





The Creation of Adam is a section of Michelangelo's fresco Sistine Chapel ceiling painted circa 1511. It illustrates the Biblical story from the Book of Genesis in which God breathes life into Adam, the first man.


God is depicted as an elderly white-bearded man wrapped in a swirling cloak while Adam, on the lower left, is completely nude. God's right arm is outstretched to impart the spark of life from his own finger into that of Adam, whose left arm is extended in a pose mirroring God's, a reminder that man is created in the image and likeness of God. Another point is that Adam's finger and God's finger are not touching. It gives the impression that God, the giver of life, is reaching out to Adam and Adam is receiving.





Image from google images

Positioning the "penis" tiles as shown in the above image could be a reference to females as well as males and represent female breasts. If positioning the tiles like this I would need to get an average female height and place the tiles where the average breast height would be.








These "penis" tiles are "head to head" and at head height. I didn't feel that this positioning was as effective as other ideas.






Draw Tiles



Tiles on the floor in a square

Tiles on the floor in a rectangle



I used tile spacers as if I were going to tile a wall. I think this looked better than when the tiles were close together as shown in the image below.




Half the tiles face one way, and then half face the other way, this would enable the viewer to walk around the tiles and view them from both sides.




(The above image)Imitating the back of a toilet cubicle or toilet door, OR I could have three of these blocks next to each other to represent three individual toilet cubicles.


(Above)Adding in blank tiles within the drawn tiles. The blank tiles could be used for the viewer to interact with the work and draw their own tile so it becomes part of the work.




Trying something different and having bigger spaces between the tiles so that they are still individual pieces of work, but they still come together to make one piece. The tiles stand out much more when on a darker background.




Tiles like the above could be used as a play on words and what the tile mean.....
Cat - Pussy ( slang for a female vagina)
Light switch - Turned on or off (sexual reference)
Ice-cream - Licking the cone (oral sex)



This tile could be used in reference to a woman's vaginal area - "lady garden". I did try placing the "vagina" tile with the other tiles that are up but it didn't look right aesthetically. I think it was because the other tiles were simple and in black where as that was in colour. I decided against using another tile.






(Above)Stacking the tiles in groups, for example I put together the "love" tiles which had hearts or love on. Flower tiles, tiles with text, animals, penis's, sex, patterns etc. I then stacked them together as though they would be ready for sale in a tile shop when looking for a certain tile.


I grouped the tiles in a block and took out the most explicit ones which stood out straight away for myself and placed them in a position where they had been taken from creating another block.



A continuous line of tiles.




Testing 




After deciding on the location of the tiles, I needed to use a sample tile with adhesive to make sure the tile stayed in place. I needed to do a tester tile as I only have one of the original "pencil and sharpener" drawn tiles and if the tile didn't stay up then it would have fallen and smashed. I did not want to take that risk. I used two tacks to hold the tile in place and straight, and then applied a no nails adhesive on the back of the tile. The tape was used to make sure the tile was held in place. Down the edge of the tile, a filler was applied so that no gaps or adhesive could be seen when looking at the tile side on. 


Applying Tiles






Final Decision


Position of terracotta tiles




The above image gives an idea of the height and location of the tiles.

I have placed the lower tile at an average height of where a male's penis would be.... 

Figures collected by the Health Survey for England show that in 2009 the average height of women aged 16 and over was 5ft 3in (1.61m). The average height of men over 16 was 5ft 9in (1.75m)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-14233727

Positioning the tiles at this height will also draw the viewer in and encourage them to bend down and look at the tiles more closely. I think this gives the work another sexual reference of oral sex performed on a male. 





The "pencil and sharpener" tile is placed in the middle of the opposing wall rather than further to the right. I made this decision as when walking into the room the tile was placed too close to the door and I felt it wasn't in a good location. Now that the tile is in the middle of the wall it is more noticeable, and looks central.


The use of this tile has a number of references.....


The pencil sharpener could relate to a woman's vagina, whilst the pencil relate to a man's penis.




"Do you have lead in your pencil?" - 



lead in your pencil:

1. Or: lead in the pencil
 , potent; capable of producing semen ; capable of having an erection of the penis . Often said with humor. ' Drink this. I'll put lead in your pencil .' Synonym: ink-in-the-pen.

2. More rarely, a penis in erection. 


http://www.sex-lexis.com/Sex-Dictionary/lead%20in%20your%20pencil



Slang Dictionary

Have lead in (one’s) definition

1.     To be vigorous and active. (Widely known phrase. Not taboo.) :Your problem, Tom, is that you should have more lead in your pencil. You just don't have the stamina.
2.     to have an erection of the penis. (Usually objectionable.) : Due to his drinking habits, he never has any lead in his pencil





Pencil Sharpener -


A term often used to describe this or a similar kind of sexual interation: 

It is when a male uses his pencil (penis) to stick it into a girl's pencil sharpener (vagina) and the guy moves his pencil in a circular motion to create the pencil sharpening effect



http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=sharpening






As well as sexual references, the pencil and sharpener can have reference to the art building itself containing art studios etc, and the art work which is created in the building. I also think that the majority of students don't tend to draw any more.



I have decided not to use the filler on the tiles as I felt it wasn't needed. The tiles were very secure, and also I don't think it would look right if used on the terracotta tiles.

The overall look of the work is minimalistic which I think gives a much bigger impact than it would having all the tiles together. I think the tiles used would get the viewer up close, and try to figure out what the work is about.


I feel that having the three tiles look aesthetically pleasing, and I didn't want to start adding more and tiles as I think it would change it on a whole.





Artist Statement



Other people’s thoughts were the inspiration for my work. My idea was to capture the thoughts of males and females in means of drawings and text on tiles. The tiles were located in the toilets with a pen ready for someone to make their mark. By doing this people were given the opportunity to draw or write what ever they wanted to, anonymously. This would allow them to express themselves as much or as little as they wanted too. Some were hilarious, meaningless, rude, random, and unsuitable for children. Without guessing I can not differentiate between the tiles as to which tiles were drawn on by a male and which tiles were produced by a female. This therefore leaves me wondering what was on whose mind.

My initial idea was to recreate a tiled wall like in a toilet and have blank tiles included so that viewers could interact with the work and produce a tile. After looking at a number of options for the tiles I felt that this may not work well and could clash with others' work which are located in the room. 

I think if I were to continue with this work then I would consider maybe using the tiles and tiling a wall in the toilets, and include blank tiles within the already drawn tiles for visitors to add their own to it.

My work consists of three tiles in total which were selected from the original 126 due to them having a good representation of the tiles on a whole. Two terracotta tiles that each have a sandblasted penis on. The image was taken from one of the drawn tiles. The other is a single glazed tile that consists of a drawing of a pencil and sharpener that could represent a number of things, depending on the viewer’s interpretation.









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