bbbThe If series arose from my fascination with the concepts of absence and trace; the signs of existence people leave behind.  More than just neutral services, Public Conveniences are charged spaces that act as forums for illicit communications, both written and verbal, and in some cases even more illicit acts. The oppositions between the privacy of the cubicle - or the freedom of gender-specific space - and its public location, create a titillating atmosphere that motivates its users to customise and occupy these ostensibly functional places in ways beyond the purpose for which they were designed. Close-up views from these toilets reveal the philosophies underpinning the architecture of public service spaces, as well as the residual marks that denote their usage. Presence is implied through absence.

bbbThese scenes are juxtaposed with dated advertising imagery of men in low-end barber shop windows. Questionable representations of men serve to both gender the space and confront the viewer with some of its possible users. These men look directly at the viewer, inviting and addressing an implied male gaze. They are very public looks which, set in opposition to the voyeuristic impulse to penetrate the private world of the toilet, serve to destabilise the ways in which the images are read. Decontextualising the barber shop pictures accentuates their strange homoeroticism and at the same time gently ridicules the construction of masculine aspiration.

KERIM AYTAC was born in Istanbul in 1979, and grew up in London whilst studying in a French school.  Film was an obsession of his from an early age, and was the subject of his degree studies. Aytac soon found that photography began to offer more creative outlets, which led him to pursue an MA in Photography at Goldsmiths University. Aytac has exhibited in several group shows, and lives and works in London as a teacher of Film, Media and Photography.

For more information, please visit: http://www.kerim.co.uk/