Their shoots often recall the fever dreams of a psychoanalyst. Symbolic objects stand in uncanny arrangement (surreal substitutions are a Toiletpaper favourite) around models who often make unabated eye contact with the lens as if challenging us to confront the absurdity of our own situation. Some of their favourite motifs are animals and food, and their images take the hyper-saturated palette of advertising imagery. Toiletpaper’s pages play through verbal and visual contrasts and puns, but a degree in semiotics is not needed to parse their meanings. For the past 12 years, their work has played through Cattelan’s and Ferrari’s intrigues and whims; each edition is organized around a thematic focus inspired by its ‘moment.’ At the heart of it all is a fun spirit; they don’t take themselves too seriously, and to best enjoy their work, you shouldn’t either.
Despite Toiletpaper’s lack of words, we caught up with Ferrari about the making of their publication. We do not unearth secrets; their hand is apparent in their work and their magazine speaks for itself. The past few years have brought the artists a more expansive range of exhibition opportunities. Recently, they have held large-scale installations across the world: imagine the Toiletpaper aesthetic peeled from its pages and plastered upon architecture. As always, you can bring a bit of Toiletpaper into your home with their line of clothing, home goods and, as of recently, personal care products.
