La Petite Boîte / Papier Toilette (The Little Bourdinian Box), 1971
Vintage Silver Gelatin Print
22,3 x 16,8 cm
As an image making perfectionist, Guy Bourdin knew how to take hold of the viewer's attention. His uncanny ability to unfold odd dramas in everyday experiences arouses the subconscious and...
As an image making perfectionist, Guy Bourdin knew how to take hold of the viewer's attention. His uncanny ability to unfold odd dramas in everyday experiences arouses the subconscious and invites the imagination.
"You don't get it until you get it" is the effect that is embedded in "La Petite Boîte / Papier Toilette", a photograph of a toilet paper holder with a reflective metallic surface that lends a rich appearance to the box. The lock at the centre of the box generates a sense of mystery that stimulates uniquely Bourdinian interpretations. While it is difficult to identify which part of the body is reflected on the shiny surface of the box, it appears as though it is the middle of a naked crouch with the lock situated over the genitalia. Considering that the toilet is a private space, it suggests that this image is a kind of self-nude-portrait that is created in an absurd yet poignant way.
"La Petite Boîte" offers the viewer the opportunity to reflect on the short, hastened time that is spent in the toilet and the quick glances that we take of that private space. With this "Little Bourdinian Box", Bourdin transmits a message that is difficult to decode, which explores the silent realm existing between the moral and the limits of the private.
© Cigdem Mirol
"You don't get it until you get it" is the effect that is embedded in "La Petite Boîte / Papier Toilette", a photograph of a toilet paper holder with a reflective metallic surface that lends a rich appearance to the box. The lock at the centre of the box generates a sense of mystery that stimulates uniquely Bourdinian interpretations. While it is difficult to identify which part of the body is reflected on the shiny surface of the box, it appears as though it is the middle of a naked crouch with the lock situated over the genitalia. Considering that the toilet is a private space, it suggests that this image is a kind of self-nude-portrait that is created in an absurd yet poignant way.
"La Petite Boîte" offers the viewer the opportunity to reflect on the short, hastened time that is spent in the toilet and the quick glances that we take of that private space. With this "Little Bourdinian Box", Bourdin transmits a message that is difficult to decode, which explores the silent realm existing between the moral and the limits of the private.
© Cigdem Mirol