Private Absolutes

A Meditation on Luxury

Abundant water from the Great Lakes is the only true luxury

Great Lakes Bath

A map of the Great Lakes forms the central image of this accessible bath. Elevation data, aerial photos, and usage trends for the watershed remind the user that the abundant water supply from the nearby Great Lakes is the only true luxury.

Utilizing the Chicago City Datum, the Chicago elevation standard, the relationship of water, plumbing, elevation and the Great Lakes is explicated in a detailed GIS map of the watershed. Executed in platinum luster, the prototypes for the bath were part of the Dutch Watermap project undertaken at the Europees Keramic Werkcentrum s’Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands, informed by the longstanding NAP Dutch elevation datum system.

Low-flow fixtures and usage statistics add hard-nosed functionality to the poetic beauty of the map