When British artist Lucy Sparrow took her beloved felt creations to New York’s Standard Hotel last summer, opening up a cuddly take on the typical NYC bodega, she had an instant sensation on her hands. The crowds arrived in droves, clearing the shelves of 9,000 handcrafted goods, which ranged from fresh produce and deli meats to cleaning supplies, cigarettes, and feminine hygiene products. Unable to match the overwhelming demand, 8 ‘Till Late closed nine days early.
Not one to back down from a challenge, Sparrow is at it again, this time at the Standard in Los Angeles. And she’s upped the ante, filling a 2,800-square-foot space with no less than 31,000 plush pieces, all available for purchase. The new work, her fifth large-scale installation, is called Sparrow Mart, reflecting the increased scale of the project. If London’s Cornershop was the neighborhood grocer and 8 ‘Till Late a bodega, Sparrow Mart is a chain supermarket straight out of the 1980s, replete with videotape rentals. (Sparrow has also done a felt sex shop and gun shop.) Read more