If It's Hip, It's Here (Archives): urinals

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Peeple; Urine Induced Art By Alex Schweder & Dieter Janssen

A collaboration between artists Alex Schweder and Dieter Janssen yielded both an art installation of heat-sensitive urinal decals and a board book called Peeple.

In the designers' words "Peeple are playthings for peetime. They are heat sensitive decals with two layers installed on the interiors of upright urinals. When heated by urine, the top layer disappears thereby revealing the characters in their underclothes."

The three part project, and accompanying board book, introduces The Joneses, a betrothed couple (Judy and Brett) and Stars and Stripes, three soldiers named Kyle, Rick and Tim respectively. All fully clothed initially, then, as the action unfolds, they all find themselves installed in urinals in various states of urine-induced undress.

The narrative inherent in this unveiling explores the disjunction between a person's external presentation of him or herself and their private lives.

The campy texts and playful images tell a light-hearted tale of the humorous and often treacherous terrain that must be crossed between public and private identity.

This work is presented as a limited edition book in which three narratives unfold using various characters. This small thick board book's materiality alludes to child like play and humor while difficult subject matter is explored. It is hard to find, but below are some links to used and new ones.

Alex Schweder's Peeple: a Three Part Installation - The Joneses, Betrothed & Stars and Stripes.

Behaviour Press Inc., 2002. Glossy yellow boards; yellow cloth spine; 22 pp.; pages are thick boards; Profusely illustrated in color; Printed in an edition of 500.

You can buy Alex Schweder's PEEPLE used from Amazon (without the decals).
Or here from Mullen books
Or here from Art Metropole.
Or here from CoCA.
Or here at Printed Matter.

Creative Architectural Ironmongery By Philip Watts Design

If you're a design-centric real estate owner, you probably have gone out of your mind looking for the perfect hardware and fixture compliments to a modern home or office. I know that I searched high and low for a well made and cool-looking kickplate for my front door and had no luck. But that's because I didn't know about Philip Watts Design and their "creative architectural ironmongery". Now I do, and so will you.

Philip Watts Design is a creative design and building company located in Nottingham. Over the years they have established a range of products; stunning staircases, bathroom sinks and urinals, furniture and hardware for the home, all manufactured on the same site as the design studio.

If you happen to be outfitting or designing a new home, commercial, retail or office space, they have every kind of hardware detailing you need from stair nosing (also difficult to find cool ones) to long and short door handles and pulls to cool door signage. Various materials like heavy sand cast aluminum and brass are crafted into organic, geometric and whimsical designs ranging from elegant horn-like textures to gritty tactile patterns.

Their 'Door Furniture', as they call it, consists of a large line of beautiful hardware, available in various finishes and designs, inspired by animals, nature and even tire tread and bike handlebars. Portholes, lever handles, handles, push plates, kick plates, and more are available. Below are just some of my personal favorites, but they have a larger selection on their website which also has an online store.

Portholes (door windows with wired glass, etched glass and more):

Door Handles And Push Plates:

Kick plates (arrow, barcode, ruler and shoeprint):

Stair Nosing:

They also have stair edging and inlays.

Display shelving:

Sinks made of cast resin, polished brass and chrome plate:

The Spoon Urinal has a matching Spoon Pedestal Sink and both are made of cast resin:

The Pale Ale Urinal. Ever piss in a bucket? Well, now's your chance. The Pale Ale urinal is a bucket fixed on a plinth and fully plumbed. Available in all stainless steel, brass on a wood plinth or stainless on a resin plinth:

In addition to their vast array of hardware and few sinks and urinals, they do custom and commercial work and have created a few pieces of furniture, and amazing staircases for several clients. Here are some examples.

Caterpillar Bench:

Mercury Stool:

Staircases and Railings:

Philip Watts Design Team:

Contact Info:
Philip Watts Design
Unit 11: Byron Industrial Estate
Brookfield Road
Arnold
Nottingham
NG5 7ER

Telephone +44 (0) 115 9269756
Fax +44 (0) 115 9205395

Be sure to visit the site, there's much more to see.

Don't forget to check out this huge selection of door handles and hardware by famous architects and designers at:

Getting A Handle On Design With Valli & Valli and FSB

Funky Find Of The Week: The 'Kisses' Urinal

Design: Meike van Schijndel for Bathroom Mania.

'Kisses!' is the first Bathroom Mania! product that is for sale. The urinal is engineered to European standards; please review the specifications to ensure the urinal can be installed at your location.

Two variants are available: a top- and a wall-inlet. Check to see which variant meets your wishes best.

Worldwide delivery has started and the first owners all say: Kisses looks fantastic.

Material: Ceramic.
Colours: Red, White and Salmon.
Dimensions: +/- 380x415x600mm (wxdxh)
Inlet: EU 35mm, back- and top inlet available.
Outlet: 50mm, outlet will be inside the urinal and can be connected to both a back- as well as a bottom-siphon.

Buy it here.

Talk About Pissing on Religion: China Unveils World's Largest Bathroom

above: Virgin Mary Themed Urinals

Anyone who has traveled to the Middle Kingdom would agree that the country's public restroom facilities leave a lot to be desired. Well, in Chongqing, a city of 31 million people in south-central China, they've had enough. Not content with the rudimentary squat units found everywhere in China, the city has pursued some innovative ideas that are meant to make the experience not just easier, but a little more fun.

The Easter Lily, left. Close up of flush, right

I once knew a guy who used to say that all well mannered men knew to "shake the dew off of their lily" once they had relieved themselves.
But to shake the dew into a lily?

That's what Chris Sorenson has made possible with his sculptural, but fully functional urinals.

Each is meticulously hand built and one of a kind - formed from high fire porcelain and fired to cone 10 (2300° F). These pieces are magnificent works of art but they are also fully functioning vitreous porcelain fixtures that can be plumbed and used in a bathroom. They are made of the same material as a commercial toilet but the similarity stops there. Clark hopes that his sculptures can be exhibited as art and installed as urinals in galleries and bathrooms around the world.