Sophy Rickett’s Photographic Exploration of Women in Public Spaces, 1995

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 17:15:00 +0200

In 1995, British artist Sophie Rickett created a provocative photographic series titled 'Pissing Women', capturing women urinating while standing in public spaces across London. Inspired by her experience working at the Financial Times and observing the rigid corporate environment of the City, Rickett sought to challenge social and gender norms that dictated how women should behave in public. The series emerged from her fascination with the contrast between men’s public ease and women’s private restraint when performing the same act. Rickett and her collaborators often scouted city locations symbolically tied to finance, communication, and security, capturing images that were both risky and humorous. The work highlighted the tensions women faced in public, particularly in post-Thatcher London where gender expectations were still strict. Over time, some images were circulated on adult websites, which Rickett found unsettling but indicative of the broader issue of female bodies being sex