HANDMADE IN MANHATTAN:
THE STANDARD, HIGH LINE ANNOUNCES ‘8 TILL LATE’
A FELT CONVENIENCE STORE BY CELEBRATED BRITISH ARTIST LUCY SPARROW
Special Kickstarter Pledgers’ Preview Sunday 4th June 10am-8pm
MONDAY, JUNE 5 – FRIDAY, JUNE 30, 2017
69 LITTLE WEST 12TH STREET, NEW YORK
All items will also be available to buy from www.sewyoursoul.co.uk for those who cannot attend in person.
Three years after Cornershop, Lucy Sparrow’s critically acclaimed, sell-out art installation that saw lines around the block in London, The Standard, High Line is pleased to present the British artist’s US debut.
Opening Monday, June 5th, 2017 for four weeks, 8 Till Late will transform a 1200-square-foot space off The Standard, High Line’s Biergarten on Little West 12th Street into a fully stocked felt convenience store, unleashing the playful, parallel universe of one of the UK’s most exciting artists on New York City’s Meatpacking District. Felt fittings, freezers and fixtures will overflow with every product you would expect to find in a classic Manhattan bodega—from candy to cereal, frozen pizza to Band-Aids—all hand-stitched in the inimitable Lucy Sparrow style.
Customers will be invited to browse the aisles and select fluffy editions of their beloved convenience store favorites for our friendly staff to gift wrap for them. Hungry office workers will be able to create bespoke fabric sandwiches from pastrami or salt beef with pickles at the deli counter. A fully functioning hot dog stand, where customers can help themselves to a squeeze of complimentary glitter glue mustard and ketchup, will live outside the entrance.
Taking over six months to research, create and install, Lucy Sparrow says of her latest project; “It’s massively exciting to be able to bring the felt to the USA. Creating all of these iconic American brands has been brilliant and I can’t wait to see the reaction from local people on seeing a felt world full of their favorite treats and hangover cures!”
In addition to serving as a colorful distraction from the daily grind, 8 Till Late is intended to make a comment on the demise of the neighborhood corner store, as main streets around the world become homogenized replicas, and celebrate the sense of community inherent in the local independent store. From a weekly felt lottery draw to 8 Till Date—a shopper’s singles night reminiscent of Armistead Maupin’s ‘Singles Safeway’—8 Till Late will host weekly events that encourage customers to join in the neighborly spirit. In Lucy’s words: “I want the work to make people think about the loss of community spaces when these small corner shops disappear; to remind them how valuable these corner shops really are and the color they bring to our lives.”
Across New York, Miami and Los Angeles, each of The Standard’s five hotels is acclaimed for its support and curation of diverse cultural programming. 8 Till Late is one of many public art exhibits that have been presented by The Standard, High Line, including installations by KAWS, José Parlá, FriendsWithYou, André Saraiva and Kenny Scharf.
“The Standard has always been committed to bringing the community together through public art and shared experience,” explains Corey Tuttle, Director of Culture and Communications at The Standard. “We are excited to bring Lucy’s work to New York for the first time and together, celebrate one of the city’s most iconic and unique institutions—the bodega.”
8 TILL LATE will be open daily from June 5th to 30th, 2017 at The Standard, High Line at 69 Little West 12th Street, New York, NY, 10014.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Felt artist Lucy Sparrow has quickly become recognized as one of the most exciting and original artists working in the UK today. Her practice is quirky yet subversive, luring the audience in with her soft, tactile, colorful felt creations before hitting them hard with her comment on subjects from the demise of the traditional high street to censorship in pornography.
Sparrow took the art world by storm in Summer 2014 with the opening of her fully stocked felt Cornershop installation in London’s East End. With lines around the block and wall to wall media coverage, the installation was both a commercial and critical success. Warmongery, a controversial sell-out installation exploring the issues around gun control and mental health followed in May 2015 and in October 2015, Madame Roxy’s Erotic Emporium opened its doors in the back streets of London’s Soho, showcasing the artist’s complete commitment to her artistic vision, recreating an entire sex shop in glorious technicolor felt, including a fully working, animated felt peep show. In 2016, the BBC commissioned Lucy to recreate the Crown Jewels in felt to celebrate HRH The Queen’s official 90th birthday.
The artist’s work has been shown in galleries from London to Los Angeles, and at international art fairs including Art Basel, Scope Miami and the New York Affordable Art Fair.
Lucy Sparrow lives in a felt cave in an undisclosed location with her companion Basil. sewyoursoul.co.uk
Instagram – @sewyoursoul
Twitter – @sewyoursoul
ABOUT THE STANDARD, HIGH LINE
Rising above a former elevated railroad that has been developed into downtown’s favorite public park, The Standard, High Line is the first Standard Hotel to be built from the ground up. Its 338 rooms offer sweeping views of the uptown skyline and the Hudson River. The property features numerous public spaces, and on-site restaurants and bars, including an outdoor Biergarten serving traditional German food and beer; The Top of The Standard, a breathtaking lounge with 360° views of the city; and Le Bain, the 18th floor bar & rooftop. The hotel’s acclaimed restaurant, The Standard Grill, serves seasonal New American cuisine. standardhotels.com
Instagram – @thestandard
Facebook – The Standard, High Line
Twitter – @standardny