If you’ve ever gone to the market on psychedelics you know it can either be horrifyingly oppressing or endlessly fascinating. Something about the repetition of brand names, iconic products, and meticulous organization make the monotony of a market run seem almost holy when you’re absolutely tripping. It’s not unlike walking through the halls of a museum, except there are a lot more people in sandals and 100% more screaming children — two elements that take on whole new levels of terror under the influence.
If you want to experience and appreciate the art of consumer culture without psychedelics, but fail to see the market as anything but a bothersome errand, then Lucy Sparrow’s Sparrow Mart may be the perfect place for you. Lucy Sparrow is a contemporary British artist whose main medium is felt and wool, and for her new exhibit, Sparrow Mart, located on the second floor of the Standard Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles, Sparrow spent a year hand-sewing 31,000 felt products to stock the shelves of her interactive exhibit.
Everything you’d find in a market is well represented here, from Just For Men hair dye to your favorite snacks and cleaning products. Everything from the store shelves to the ATM (and the money inside) is made with complete attention to detail. And just like a market, everything on the shelves is for sale with items ranging anywhere from $1 to $50,000, all signed by Lucy Sparrow.
Sparrow Mart recalls last year’s ‘8 til Late’– an all-felt bodega in New York, but perhaps to reflect the sprawl of Southern California and its prevalence of supermarkets, Sparrow Mart is about three times larger. In an interview for Yahoo, Sparrow says “I want people to walk away from this artwork with a feeling that art is applicable to anyone, and that if they feel inspired to make something they can just make it, you don’t need anything special to be able to do that.” You can’t walk through Sparrow Mart without a smile on your face, this is feel-good-art at it’s best and you’re likely to leave the exhibit with a newfound appreciation of the everyday products that pass you by and are never given a second thought.
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Sparrow Mart is running from now until August 31st at the Standard Hotel in Los Angeles. Walk-in visitors are welcome as no reservations (though you can reserve a viewing time) are necessary and admission is totally free, though the exhibit is closed on Mondays.
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