Another epic exhibition from artist Lucy Sparrow has seen the creation of an entirely sewn sex shop in the centre of Soho.
The show follows on from previous sewn extravaganzas from Sparrow. Her ‘Warmongery‘ show earlier in the year filled out on of the containers in Shoreditch’s BoxPark, whilst her most famous creation ‘The Cornershop‘ was one of the East End’s top artistic attractions of 2014.
We’ve not seen Lucy since the Cornershop and she couldn’t have chosen a more alternative subject. A passionate advocate of the rights of sex workers, Lucy has drawn on her own experience of the sex industry for this show. Formerly stripping herself under the name of ‘Roxy’, she once worked at London’s Spearmint Rhino club, sewing in between acts and using the money she earned to help fund her first solo show.
Her ‘Madame Roxy’s Erotic Emporium’ is an immersive experience. To be fair, we should be used to this by now. If the Cornershop taught us anything it’s that Lucy Sparrow has an almost insatiable appetite for sewing, 6000 objects have been sewn as part of this show it’s a really astonishing amount.
Soho of course is the historic heart of London’s historic sex industry. Halfway down an alley on Green Court just off from the famous Brewer Street, her shop front looks entirely authentic. Look a bit closer and it is of course felt, such is the realism that more than a few potential customers have been lured inside only to meet with bitter disappointment when they find that the goods on display are in fact soft furnishings.
Lucy is on form, the Madame Roxy of the title, she has put all of herself into this show. Drawing on her past as an erotic dancer as well as visiting places such as Amsterdam it was the little things she wanted to get right “like putting the tissues in the cinema” she tells me grinning.
Yes Madame Roxy’s also has a felt cinema, accessed via felt lined stairs and showing a porn movie featuring x-rated felt like activity. I did not check as to whether the tissues were felt or not. There’s a peep show too for good measure “Yeah! I’ve got mad skills” she tells me when I ask if she created that too. Of course she did, I seriously should have known better.
Of course people are flocking to the place, inside the walls are lined head to toe in magazines, each one sewn, each one entirely individual. All very x-rated so probably best to not bring young ones along. It’s an extraordinary achievement although given the success of Lucy’s previous ventures she now has two assistants who help her.
Her rise since the Cornershop has indeed been remarkable, she even has a book out. On sale in the Emporium for a snip at £20 she’ll even sign it for you. That book ‘Lucy Sparrow’s Felt World‘ is a hardback picture book featuring all manner of felt creations. It even proudly boasts a number of pictures taken by this very blog as we covered the unfolding of the Cornershop in a number of features last year…truly fame at last!
There’s not many artists, or for that matter people, out there with the work ethic of Lucy Sparrow. What she has created might be a bit much for some, yet pure gold for others. This show is just laying it all out there for you to make of it what you will.
Madame Roxy’s Erotic Emporium by Lucy Sparrow runs from 5 October 2015 to 17 October 2015. It can be found at Scissor Handbarbers, 2 Green’s Court, Soho, London, W1F 0HB. Previous Inspiring City articles about Lucy Sparrow can be found by clicking below
Lucy Sparrow prepares to make a Cornershop out of felt and wool
Lucy Sparrow prepares to fit out her Cornershop
Lucy Sparrows felt Cornershop opens in Bethnal Green in London
Madame Roxy’s Erotic Emporium Gallery
Hilarious. The amount of wit in those ‘magazine’ covers and film ‘posters’ is more than many artists come up with a whole career. And all lovingly sewn. Love the contrast between the subject matter and the mumsy materials.
Very disappointed it closes on Saturday. Considering a special trip into London to view it.
It’s definitely worth it Mike if you can get down, those pics in the post are just a tiny fraction of what’s there. She has one heck of an imagination :p