Supermarket Sweep‘You can’t draw here, you need permission from headquarters’.
A Lidl Moment
A2 Observational drawing. Drawn on location
Supermarket Sweep is a collection of ceramic pieces inspired by observations and stories from across Manchester’s supermarkets and food stalls during lockdown. The series reflects on human behaviour and the chaos of shortages and panic buying.
Standing in the corner of Lidl, with an A2 sketchpad and a mountain of pens falling at my feet, I caught the attention of the store manager.
‘You can’t draw here, you need permission from headquarters’.
Cash + Card
MRI Children’s Hospital, Manchester
Underglaze on thrown stoneware
A bit flustered, I responded,
‘Don’t worry, my work is quite abstract, and I won’t make any reference to Lidl’.
Four hours later, nearing the end of the drawing, he returned.
‘Oh, it looks nothing like Lidl, carry on’.
Although Supermarket Sweep initially started out exploring the issues of sustainability and waste within the big four UK supermarkets, it evolved into an observation of different communities in Manchester. From Nick the fruit and veg stall holder, who provided students and hospital patients with their 5 a day, to the Middle Eastern supermarket where, a week before the first lockdown, milk powder was rationed rather than the loo roll.
Loo roll stash
Worldwide supermarket, Manchester
Sgraffito on thrown stoneware
Bananas
A nod to Have a Banana Trading Fruit Stall
Limited edition of 20
Sgraffito on Porcelain
MRI - Manchester Royal Infirmary Children's Hospital. Nick had one of his fruit stalls in the entrance of the hospital. Lots of fruit and veg at children's eye level was just too tempting for little hands...
Coop - The open fridges
Wordwide - My favourite Middle Eastern supermarket along curry mile in Manchester. Drawn a week before lockdown, I watched people stock pilling for the unknown.
Bananas - Collaged standing in Tescos
Have a Banana Trading on Oxford Road, Manchester - Set up by Nick in the 90's with the aim of serving the locals and students their 5 a day.
Worldwide - Also drawn in the Middle Eastern supermarket. Capturing the Halal meat counter. The employees all asked to see it at the end, trying to find themselves in the piece.
