Finn Ryan ‘29
Ceci n’est pas un pee door
Art is, inherently, meant to challenge the status quo. It should rile up the deepest, most internal feelings within oneself, reaching into the very bowels of the soul. Art can be explosive, shocking its viewer with a sudden release of emotion they didn’t know was there. Or, art can slowly trickle out, only giving small drops of meaning at a time. Art can provide instant comfort and relief, or it can create a long period of discomfort and pain. Some pieces of art, some few very special pieces, burst through and accomplish all of these at once. They make a big mess out of society and say “look, look at how dirty we all really are.”
Worcester’s newest work is the pinnacle of such pieces. Pee Door, located in Brooks Basement Hall, was christened earlier this week as an official art installation, the city’s first piece to be held permanently at the College of the Holy Cross. The avant garde work features a large metal door that once bore the words “FIRE DOOR DO NOT PROP,” now obscured and edited to read “PEE DOOR DO NOT POOP.” The piece’s plaque puts it best: “Pee Door blurs the boundaries between art and graffiti, seriousness and silliness, inviting laughter while quietly questioning the rigidity of public order.”
Pee Door isn’t something to be merely chuckled at as one descends the stairs of Brooks Hall to leave for class. Instead, it’s an invitation, asking us all to take a long, hard look at ourselves and the world that we’ve built around us. The artist, who can only be described as a contemporary genius, boldly chooses to remain anonymous, solidifying the commonality and relatability of the piece. Truly, we are all Pee Door.
Featured image courtesy of Finn Ryan ‘29
Copy Edited by Molly Croft ’29
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