Pissoir 2000
an interactive installation
by Allan Giddy & Steven Greenwoood
What is it?
A pre-fabricated wall unit supporting a urinal is installed in an existing gallery toilet. The urinal is sensitised to allow participants (both male & female) to draw using their urine. The resulting drawings are displayed in real-time in the gallery space, then automatically uploaded onto the internet.
The work Pissoir celebrates the private, intimate, DIY act of pissing as a creative activity. This work provides all participants with a virtual canvas, giving them the opportunity to draw/paint their own works of art. Urine incident upon a sensor is sampled for its unique pH level; thus each participant leaves his/her own colour pH signature. In addition to the installation apparatus, the artists provide a small device to assist women in urinating precisely.
Pissoir embodies the DIY culture in its most intimate & naive form.
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Image1: View in gallery space of the plasma screen with a drawing
Image2: The Urinal unit before installation in the toilets
Image3: Side view technical diagram of the work
Pissoir Quicktime (.mov 709kB)
Gallery
Those participants who have demonstrated higher than normal levels of creativity during the act of pissing have been selected to enter into the world´s first piss drawing "Hall of Fame".
Click here to view the other artists.
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More Gallery Images
Installation Requirements
- Toilets must be in close proximity to gallery
space and have free wall area at least 70cm wide.
- The toilet area must have access from the
free wall (mounting area) to an existing urinal,
toilet, or outlet pipe (for discharge of urine)
- Access must be possible for discreet cabling
from toilet area to gallery space. (1 x AV cable).
- 220V - 240V Power in gallery space (10 AMP
fused).
- 220V - 240V Power to toilet area (10 AMP
fused).
- Flat screen wall mounted LCD TV approximate
diagonal dimension 600 mm.
- Internet Connection.
- Set-up time 20 hours.
All other equipment including cabling, computers,
software, sensors, women's pissing aids and lights will be provided by the artists.
Image 1: Light
Image 2: Camera in urinal
Image 3: Camera in urinal
Images 1, 2, 3: An average urinal
Image1: Drawing demo as seen from the urinal (View the image larger)
Image2: Software demo as seen from the urinal (View the image larger)
Image1: Women´s Pissing Aid
For Women only
The work Pissoir provides the opportunity for women to use the work by standing up. Women can use the Finger-assist method as outlined below:
1. Wash or wipe your hands clean with a moist towellette.
2. Adjust clothing. Pants should be pulled down in front a few inches.
Skirts should be lifted.Underwear should be pulled down at the waistband or move the fabric at the crotch to one side.
3. Wipe your labia area clean.
4. Using either hand, make a "V" with your first and second finger and spread the inside of your labia minora. (The INNER lips) Beginners may want to try using the fingers from both hands for better control.
5. Lift to the desired angle, then pee. (If you do not spread and lift, it could run down your leg.)
6. Wipe your labia if necessary.
7. Return the toilet seat to its original position.
8. Wash your hands and you are done!
The artists also provide the Women´s Pissing Aid (as shown above) during the exhibition to assist women in greater control & precision.
Image 1: Gallery crowd in front of screen
Image 2: Gallery crowd in front of screen
Artists' Biographies
Allan Giddy
Born 1960, Morrinsville, New Zealand. Completed
a Masters in Fine Art at the University of NSW COFA, Sydney. Guest
fellow at CAIIA, University of Wales, U.K. Completed a year as guest
fellow at the Hochschule für Bildenden Künste, Saarbrücken,
Germany. Completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts at the University of
New South Wales College of Fine Arts, Sydney, Australia. Allan currently
lectures in Electronics-Sculpture at COFA, University of NSW, Sydney,
Australia. He lives and works in Sydney, Australia.
Steven Greenwood
Born 1971, Sydney, Australia. DAAD scholarship
from 1994 to 1997. Completed a Masters in Media Art from the Hochschüle
fur Gestaltung, Karlsruhe, Germany. Completed a Bachelor of Fine
Arts at the University of New South Wales College of Fine Arts,
Sydney, Australia. Lives and works in Berlin, Germany. Selected
exhibitions: Museum of Sydney 2001, net Condition, ZKM, 1999 Medium
- eine Welt dazwischen, Museum für Gestaltung, Zurich, 1998
Ostrananie 97, Dessau, 1997
Special Thanks & Support to:
Contact
send any feedback and comments to:
Allan Giddy
allangiddy@allangiddy.org
http://www.allangiddy.org
Steven Greenwood
steven@telesthetic.org
http://www.telesthetic.org
© 2000 Giddy & Greenwood