public toilet

Artist: aglaia b
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Card: US$4.99
Print: from US$21.38

public toilet

For the amenity of self

I’m only standing here
as long as it takes
to purge you from the centre of me
you sit back there thinking I’ve not got a heart
but I do
and I am going to take it back from you.

I’m going to hold it
warm it again
and place it back where it belongs
in my chest
proud and functioning
without you.

I care not that you are everything
one thing
more than something I ever wanted
It’s too late now
I am washing it all away;

Down
around
circling through the bends
gurgling and spluttering
away into the ocean of tears
where the waves curl and lick the saltiness
under again where it belongs
today
I am going to stand up straighter than I ever have
there is no other way
I am going to stare at myself in that mirror
until my eyes become my own again
and I’m going to say it all
until I believe it.

Goodbye.

This wonderful poem was written by the very talented writer and good friend
nicole ryan

This series was shot the old fashioned way, the camera an old Pentax K1000 with ILford Black and White film and hand printed using high contrast filters.
This public toilet was utterly disgustingly dirty and had not been cleaned for who knows how long. The available light just made it look beautiful!
No post production on this, it’s a straight scan from the original hand printed print.

public toilet belongs to the following groups:

***Amazing + Analogue***, Black and White Film and PENTAX Available for sale as

Greeting Cards, Matted Prints, Laminated Prints, Mounted Prints, Canvas Prints, Framed Prints and Posters

margpie

Love that hair cut, is it shaved at the back Brilliant once again, makes you feel asthough you are intruding on someones private moment.
aglaia b replied

yes a fresh haircut! thank you!
LostBoy

sin city.
aglaia b replied

LOVE that film, thanks!
~ Ademac

Your images contain such strong narratives….........you are a powerful artist, well done.
aglaia b replied

thank you barssel, i always appreciate your comments ;-)
madshade

love the texture grain of this – you are really quite skilled with texture!
aglaia b replied

would you believe it’s all in the black and white film i used and dark room process.
thanks for noticing :-)
madshade

plus the composition, naturally.
aglaia b replied

thank you, i really enjoy your work also!
botticcelli

you are master..indeed…your portraits are so diferent to others….
aglaia b replied

thank you my dear….so are you! ;-)
shawhouse

this is so cinematic. wonderful tone, black against white. fine portfolio.
aglaia b replied

thank you shawhouse. that is grand coming from you!
Sophie Shapiro

This is such a powerful and dramatic photograph! This woman possesses such strength and feeling! This photograph in beautiful tones of black and white, make it an analytical statement, and establishes the fact that you are a very talented and seriously interesting photographer! Well done Aglaia!Sx
aglaia b replied

once again sophie your words just blow me away!
thank you so much.
this woman is my sister and believe me she does “possess a huge amount of strength and feeling!”
she sits at number 4 of the five girls in our family. my poor brother being the last!Ax
andreasphoto

perfect light atmosphere and model
aglaia b replied

thank you my dear! ;-)
Helen Chierego

This is like a still from a 1940s movie-it’s very film noir. Fantastic lighting and pose!
aglaia b replied

love film noir helen. thanks!
PJ Ryan

now this has always been a favourite .. absolutely love it !!

I agree with Helen .. so 40’s noir .. beautiful xx
aglaia b replied

thanks my lovely girl!
ADMarshall

Great shot Aglaia – suggestions of a powerful story here.
aglaia b replied

i appreciate your comments. thank you!
deliriousgirl

JFC!!! Very very noir feeling in this!!! What genius!!!
Helen Chierego

Hey Aglaia, have you ever made a film/movie. All these captures are so filmic in quality I’ll bet you could make a great dark mystery film. Oh! and it just twigged what JFC is all about. lol
aglaia b replied

hahaha, i wish i could make a movie helen. i think i’ll just stick to viewing them all. love the american noir films, however my all time faves were the french ones. they use to screen quite a few at the Lumiere cinema on lonsdale street, back in the day!
thanks for making me remember that!
JFC is that the time!
oops i better stop that, deliriousgirl has copyright over that one! lol
thanks for you comments helen xo
Helene Kippert

There’s a sense of story behind this one that I like – great shot!
aglaia b replied

thank you very much helene ;-)
show21up

good work, well done
aglaia b replied

thank you!
Antanas

beautiful catch
DarkHotel

this is so sensational, the way the darkness lets out the light, however, only in certain controlled parts of the image. The way the tones traipse around the figure really make it for me… great series of work aglaia!
aglaia b replied

“traipse”, what a great word to use here. thank you so much for your wonderful comment. ;-)
Laurie McClave

Niiiice Aglaia love the pose and the stark contrast with the lighting:)
aglaia b replied

thanks laurie…love the word stark. i must start using it thanks!
bluesquirrel

it reminds me german film style between the wars. except for the electric hand dryer of course.
great shot, really enjoying it.
aglaia b replied

wow, that’s interesting.
i agree, i think it’s her skirt perhaps! in the original print the dryer is totally blacked out, that’s why i find your comment interesting. thank you! ;-)
Ginger Barritt

What can you say that hasn’t been said. This is a beautiful photograph.
aglaia b replied

thanks for your comment ginger! ;-)
bluesquirrel

maybe the skirt… i think the edgy haircut takes me to louise brooks audacity and style under direction of gw pabst. that spirit was lost until katherine hepburn took up the mantel. sadly does not exist anymore…. until you perhaps. i do believe you have the vision to make a short film in this genre. x
aglaia b

“i do believe you have the vision to make a short film in this genre. x”
LOL
ok we can do it together perhaps, you can be my leading lady/man?
xox ;-) xox
RebeccaT

I do love this piece Aglaia…I keep coming back to it:) – It’s just so beautifully composed. The lighting is perfect….and I just love photography done the old fashioned way – great work!
aglaia b replied

thanks darlin….;)
the link thingy didn’t work…:(
try again!
xox
T Design London

Great work
RebeccaT

Hey…look at that! – I made a link?!....So sorry – I didn’t mean to make a link. I must have been getting a little crazy with punctuation. :) – what I should have said is… Fabulous work with the Pentax! :)
aglaia b replied

hahahha be careful there are ghosts about!
see how my writing in the previous reply to you is faded, i seriously don’t know how i did that either….
it must be the same ghost ;-) xo
Peta Ridley

Lovely Aglaia!
aglaia b replied

thank you peta ;-)
April Mansilla

powerful that she is resigned to the mirroe but not looking in it…just stunning
aglaia b

yes this model is excellent at staging drama!
thank you! ;-)
Jessica Tremp

very strong pose in this, there’s tension in this image…wonderful
aglaia b replied

thanks babe, i really appreciate your comment! ;-) x
Jaeda DeWalt

Revealing the extraordinary in the ordinary . . .
another stark stunner!
aglaia b replied

thank you and believe me you’re the stunner! love your work ;-) x
Paul Vanzella

superb light, style and mood!
aglaia b replied

i’m cracking up!
thank you paul ;-) xox
Jacqueline Baker

There are so many life stories played out in public toilets and this image is a good representation of them all….dramatic, sad, desperate and lost !! I think of the heroin addict, the prostitute and the homeless, this image says it all!
aglaia b replied

your comment rings many truths.
thank you jacqueline. ;-) xo
JacquelineGwynne

Great image, reminds me of Man Ray!
aglaia b replied

why tank you ma-am, i do love man ray!
Adam Lana

its a great shot that says so much.. well done
aglaia b replied

hey there, thanks adam! ;-)
monopix

Aglaia you have wonderful images in your gallery

ps: how much for the model? sell me your model ha ha what movie was that from?
aglaia b replied

thanks so much peter! ;-) xox
Care

fabulously artistic image !!....and what you wrote with this is so poingnant to me …..
Dennis Pilapil

love the concept and rendition of the work…great job!!
Van Cordle

Cool!
Mohammad Khaksar

powerful work…really like this one…
Charles McKean

Fab
TextureoftheSin

ove the light and B&W and your use of focus
Tracey Mac

Another thinker….the pose is so …..kind of despairing….and I know that feeling…..and I absolutely love the words way too much…..this really has struck a giant chord…..blown me away entirely….
aglaia b replied

thanks tracey ;-) xox ♥
Steve Chapple

Wonderful mood lighting and creation of emotion here. So very powerful and a statement on life…..
bluenote

This is so beautiful, the contrast is so strong yet, such an intinate image, really love it, great work!
Sue Anna Joe

So much feeling. The gestures, body posture, very strong. Love this.
Mel Brackstone

What a fascinating capture! I’m cinematically illiterate, I have to admit, but I love what I see here!
mfortune

This is a stunning image! You have a wonderful eye and creative style!
ltruskett

such a strong visual…....love it…..........
Darryl A

Beautiful moment. This is great in black and white!
DragonFlyer

The effect achieved by using REAL FILM is simply sensational… I love it so much – and the pose and concept here – a wondrously strong composition!
K xx
aglaia b replied

thanks DF, your comment is really giving me an itch to pull out a roll again real soon. ;-) xox
Rany Lutz 21 days ago

Super!