I was planning to write my next blog post about an artist I met in Detroit a few weeks ago, but I just returned from a short trip to New York City and I had another experience I couldn’t wait to share. And since there’s sort of a sell-by date to this story, I figured I’d better dazzle you now.
But first you’ll have to indulge me while I wax poetic about my love affair with unique New York, unique New York. I first visited NYC in 1998. It was Spring Break and my friend Hunter and I took a Greyhound from our college town of Huntsville, Texas right into Manhattan. For a week, we lived at the Vanderbilt YMCA, subsisted on French fries, pizza, and beer, and walked holes into the bottoms of our sneakers. To this day, our NYC trip remains one of my most memorable vacations. Bright-eyed 21-year-olds obsessed with Rent, we were enchanted not only by the glamour of NYC, but also the grime. We left with dreams of moving there one day. Hunter actually did for a short time after college. Unfortunately, I was too scared to take the risk. It’s a decision I still regret.
But being a tourist ain’t too shabs, especially now that I’ve graduated from accommodations at the Y. I remain as enthralled with this city today as I was back in ‘98. I’ve returned almost a dozen times (not nearly enough IMO) since then and each visit, I find myself navigating the city’s congested, cacophonous streets completely amazed by my surroundings. I will never grow tired of exploring New York, of unearthing the magic in its nooks and crannies, the stories behind its walls, be they spray painted brick or glistening glass. It is a city where I can stand out and disappear all at once, and wandering its streets, I imagine I am one of the 8.5 million people who live there. Whenever I return home from a visit to the Big Apple, I am full of great memories, but I also ache with disappointment that I had to return home at all.
So this last trip to NYC was only two nights/three days, short and sweet because my husband and I were mainly visiting to attend a party in Chelsea. Because the party and preparation for it would dominate almost a whole day of our trip, I made limited plans for us, most of which included eating in the city’s seemingly infinite vegan joints. But there was one thing I really wanted us to do no matter what and that was check out 8 ‘Till Late, an art installation I’d read about on-line. It opened the day before we arrived and I was excited we’d be among the first people to see it. On the last day of our trip, we headed over to the exhibition a few hours before we were due at the airport. I am so glad we made time for 8 'Till Late because it is THE coolest art show I have seen in a long time.
Imagine strolling by a New York City bodega and remembering you’re out of toilet paper so you pop in to pick up a pack. And while you’re there, you decide to grab a frozen pizza for dinner and a pint of ice cream for dessert. Then you remember you need to get some cash from the ATM because you owe your roommate $40 and oh yeah, you guys are also out of laundry detergent. May as well get some bananas for breakfast smoothies, too, and maybe a couple of Cokes to go with that dinner. And boy, a candy bar sure sounds good for the walk home. But wait! You’re supposed to bring some beer to your friend’s party tomorrow night. Ah! A case of Stella Artois will do.
Now imagine putting all of these items into a giant pile on the floor and jumping into them. Not that I recommend doing that since it would likely get you kicked out of the store. But technically, you could. Because in this bodega, everything is stuffed! Like, PILLLOWS stuffed. Welcome to British artist Lucy Sparrow's funky felt world.
Seriously, guys. I had never even heard of Sparrow, but I'm definitely a fan now. I'll be following her career to see what other textile wonders she comes up with because her felt convenience store is nothing short of pure joy. Everything in the installation, from the cash registers to the ATM machine, to the meat case to the DVDs behind the counter is a fuzzy, adorable version of itself. Being in the exhibition is like being in a giant claw machine, but instead of stuffed toys, it's filled with stuffed practical things like food and toiletries. For a minute there, I wondered if I was now stuffed. Had entering the bodega transported me to some wonder world where everything was made of felt, like how the guy in the “Take On Me” video turned into a comic? I squeezed my arm to be sure. Phew! Bones.
And here’s the best part. The merchandise is actually for sale. The whole damn exhibition is a museum gift shop! You want that box of Runts? No problem, that’ll be $35. A pack of Oscar Mayer bologna? It’s yours for $45. A bottle of Jäger? Sixty bucks — go for it. Everything is for sale and it’s so delightful to shop. Trojans, Spam, Aspercreme. The possibilities are endless. For my part, I bought a $75 stuffed champagne because HAD TO HAVE IT.
My husband and I had a blast roaming the fauxdega, marveling at Sparrow’s whimsical spin on the modern convenience store. We had so many questions. Like, why did she anthropomorphize some of the products but not others? Presuming she hired people to sew all this stuff, how long did it take them? If everything was for sale, what would happen to the exhibition if they ran out of items — was there a storeroom somewhere with pallets of stuffed sanitary napkins and pigs feet from which to replenish? I’m still in awe of how she came up with the idea in the first place. The exhibition was just one more example of the magic I’ve come to expect from New York City, another page in the book of stories I’ve collected from my visits.
8 ‘Till Late: A Felt Convenience Store is located in the Meatpacking District, at the Standard, High Line. But you only have until June 30th to shop ‘till you drop (click here for more info). I can’t think of a better excuse to visit New York right now. If you go, let me know what you think. More importantly, I want to know what you buy!
