All images by The Standard
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Los Angeles, US – “There is art that is made to provoke, and that’s great. But there’s no shame in art that brings you a feeling of wonderment” Sparrow said recently, speaking about her newest art show ‘Sparrow Mart’.
Hailing from Bath in the UK, Lucy Sparrow started stitching familiar household items from Marlboro cigarettes to Cadbury’s chocolate bars and even jars of Bovril.
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In 2017, Lucy gained much press attention and Instagram fame with her New York City bodega-style (a neighbourood corner store) art show called ‘8-till-late’. The show was such a success that it had to close a week early, after all of the items were sold to visitors.
‘Sparrow Mart’ represents an entire supermarket, complete with aisles, shopping baskets and tellers. All the shelves are stocked with hand stitched felt representations of our favourite items. Everything in the store is for sale, with some items starting as low as $1.
Lucy and 5 studio assistants took a year to hand cut, stitch and stuff every piece in the show – over 30 000 items in all. They range from fresh fruit and vegetables like watermelon and potatoes, OMO washing powder, boxes of Tampax, instant noodles, sushi platters and even packs of chicken breasts and hotdog sausages.
Her artwork is intended to inspire joy and nostalgia, but there is also a deeper message about consumerism, waste and excess in our everyday lives. Lucy says, “No matter what walk of life you’re from, you always have to go to the supermarket” and it’s the relatability of her work that makes it so charming.
Find Lucy Sparrow on Instagram to follow her work, and to wonder at the detail in her cuddly, foodie inspired work.
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