Arkansas Botanic Artist Fined $10,000 For Toilet Installation

Photo: Courtesy Flickr.
Marcel Duchamp, Fountain (1917). Photo: Tate.

Marcel Duchamp, Fountain (1917).
Photo: Tate.org.uk.

An Arkansas-based botanic artist is facing a $10,000 fine from local authorities. The reason? Her very public predilection for toilets.

Retired Air Force sergeant Tonie Atkinson’s preferred artistic medium is, as local CBS affiliate THV11 so eloquently states it, “potted plants in potties.” She has transformed her yard into what she calls a “toilet farm” filled with vintage porcelain thrones overflowing with lush greenery.

“Just because you can’t appreciate it,” Atkinson says, “doesn’t mean it’s not art.” Atkinson’s neighbors, unfortunately, do not agree with this sentiment.

Inspectors in Garland County reportedly cited Atkinson in April 2015 for what they call “appliance and yard waste.” A hearing is slated for October.

The toilet, of course, has an art historical significance that dates back to Marcel Duchamp’s 1917 readymade Fountain—which, you may recall, wasn’t all the rage in its time either. And Atkinson is far from the only contemporary artist who is preoccupied with toilets. In 2014, Claudio Ahlers transformed a public toilet in Bristol into an art installation, prompting artnet News to wonder: “Is Toilet Art Having a Moment?

Luckily, the Arkansas artist with the unenlightened neighbors isn’t giving up: “I still got more toilets coming,” she said. “I’ll probably be working on it 10 years from now.”

Related stories:

Mexican-American Artist Transforms Donald Trump into Butt Plug

Street Artist Sues Real Estate Developer for Using Mural in Ads

Man Fixing Toilet in Italy Unearths Historical Relics and Opens Museum


Follow Artnet News on Facebook:


Want to stay ahead of the art world? Subscribe to our newsletter to get the breaking news, eye-opening interviews, and incisive critical takes that drive the conversation forward.

Share

Subscribe or log in to read the rest of this content.

You are currently logged into this Artnet News Pro account on another device. Please log off from any other devices, and then reload this page continue. To find out if you are eligible for an Artnet News Pro group subscription, please contact [email protected]. Standard subscriptions can be purchased on the subscription page.

Log In