Art & Bathroom Humor

Since the cave days pictograms have been used by civilization to simply represent and communicate ideas, objects, activities and locations by means of an illustration. Today, pictograms are highly graphical representations that usually communicate directions, designations or instructions.

For this reason, the pictogram, sometimes called an international symbol, is used widely in public spaces such as bathrooms, waiting areas, train stations, airports etc. There is even a standard set of pictograms that was developed for everything from hazards to laundry instructions.

But, leave it to the artist to have a little fun with these familiar stick figures, especially when it comes to directing your biological urges to, in and through the bathroom door. The standard bathroom door sign has taken on a comedic life of its own.

The signs have even evolved beyond the standard stick-like figure into “high concept” representations of our most pressing biological function or the biological attributes of the sexes. Gives a new meaning to bathroom humor, doesn’t it? And, yes, it is art. Isn’t it?