August 4, 2014

Felt Up at the Cornershop

Billy and I spent the weekend with friends in London and our only prerequisite was to see some culture. There wasn't anything more specific. Usually that means a visit to the Tate Modern or the Barbican but this time we headed to Bethnal Green.

Artist Lucy Sparrow used kickstarter to fund some of the project that turned an abandoned cornershop into, well, a cornershop. Instead of cardboard and plastic packaging, the shop was instead filled literally with polyfill covered with felt. Felted crisps, cigarettes, condoms, newspapers etc. It had the same feel as a cornershop so the artist obviously did a lot of research or like most of us, she probably made many last minute trips to pick up things left off the grocery list or for a late-night sugar craving.

It was an interesting installation, but I found it hard to decide if it was 'art' or if it was 'craft.' I could totally have made anything in the shop (isn't that what most people say of art in galleries though regardless of artistic ability) and I probably did make similar items in elementary school. Not to dis the artist but I did leave wondering whether it was cool or weird, regardless though if you're in Bethnal Green its worth a look.



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