John Byford - Dirty Wash

SOAP Box. SO Festival Skegness

🇬🇧 SOAP BOX / Dirty Wash by John Byford (UK)
SO Festival, Skegness Lincolnshire / 2011

Hang Out Your Dirty Washing…

Greetings from Skegness and beyond – all served with a wink to the classic saucy seaside postcard.

Back in 2011, award-winning photographer John Byford gave SO Festival a good shake and tumble with Dirty Wash, his mischievous installation starring a bright red washing machine. Visitors were invited to “air their dirty laundry” by scribbling their secrets, cheeky confessions and half-blushed thoughts onto postcards before pegging them onto a giant washing line for everyone to have a nose at.

And for the truly naughty stuff?

Well, that got a proper rinse. People “washed out their dirty thoughts” by slipping them into the Soap Box – John’s brilliantly painted washing machine that collected the grubbiest musings. These were later aired online, because why keep your filth to yourself?

Touring across several SO Festival locations, the installation sparked laughter, curiosity and plenty of raised eyebrows – just like the best seaside postcards always have.

“Taking part in SO Festival 2011 was a fantastic opportunity,” said John. “I loved wheeling my Soap Box through Skegness and giving people the chance to share their secrets, fears, thoughts and memories – whether they were squeaky clean or in desperate need of a good scrub.

Wash your dirty thoughts

Visual artist Shanaz Gulzar @ 'Soap Box'

SOAP BOX had a total of 643 postcards hung out on the washing line