Toilet seats designed by several artists and celebrities are to be auctioned for WaterAid. “It’s easy to take toilets for granted, but together with clean water and good hygiene, they can save lives,” says WaterAid chief executive.
Those who have one hardly consider them all that exciting.
However, one auction proves that toilet seats can be where necessity meets throne design – all for a good cause that highlights the necessity behind an item we take for granted a bit too much.
Several artists and celebrities, including Culture Club singer Boy George, fashion designers Dame Zandra Rhodes and Pam Hogg, as well as comedian Harry Hill, have designed toilet seats that will be auctioned for charity WaterAid – the international non-governmental organisation which focuses on water, sanitation and hygiene.
The Best In The House art collection, with designs ranging from pun-tastic to golden royal seat, will go on display at the British Art Fair at London’s Saatchi Gallery this month.
Best Seat In The House originated from a collaboration between WaterAid and photographer Rankin, whose agency photographed the collection to help raise awareness of the global sanitation crisis.
Boy George’s design features the words “piss and love”, while the creation by Hill includes a depiction of a horse inside a horse shoe that says “lucky toilet seat”.
Boy George said: “Royal or rocker, toilets are a great leveller because we all have to use one. A lot of serious thinking can be done on the throne, but can you imagine life without your toilet? That’s the reality for one in five people in the world.”
He added: “I love the concept of reimagining the toilet as a luxury, and had a lot of fun designing my own Best Seat In The House to highlight the importance of decent toilets.”
Describing his design, the singer stated: “My seat is a ‘punk throne’ of defiance, with a cheeky message written inside as I like to bring humour and optimism into my art. It’s great to see my creation going under the hammer for WaterAid to help more people get this basic right.”
Tim Wainwright, UK chief executive of WaterAid, said: “These fun and striking toilet seat creations are a great way of bringing toilets into the conversation and conveying the message the everyone, everywhere should have access to a decent toilet. It’s easy to take toilets for granted, but together with clean water and good hygiene, they can save lives.”
“Having decent toilets can transform whole communities, helping stop the spread of disease, keep girls in school and improve people’s safety and dignity,” added Wainwright. “All proceeds from the auction will help get clean water, toilets and good hygiene to schools and communities around the world, helping change more lives for good.”
The creations will go under the hammer today until 29 September online at Givergy, and from 26 September at the British Art Fair at the Saatchi Gallery.
