Mother's Day is May 12!

Martin Creed
Work No. 1357, MOTHERS, 2012
White neon, steel
22.4 x 47.6 feet (6.8 x 14.5 m)

Made up of white neon lettering, Work No. 1357, MOTHERS is the largest kinetic sculpture Creed has created to date: measuring forty-eight feet wide and more than twenty feet tall, it steadily rotates a full 360 degrees.  Creed often uses language in his work, spelling out unassuming words or common phrases. In some cases he works with neon on a modest scale. Work No. 845 (2007), for example—on view concurrently in the MCA’s first-floor lobby—reproduces the word “THINGS” in bright multicolored letters that are a few inches high. In contrast, the rotating neon sculpture Creed produced for the MCA plaza is intended to be monumental. As the word “MOTHERS” spins overhead, directly in front of the museum’s main entrance, it becomes a glowing presence that is both celebratory and imposing. It had to be large, Creed said, “because mothers always have to be bigger than you are” and because “it feels like mothers are the most important people in the world.” 

Help mom feel special this mother's day with a gorgeous arrangement from Larkspur, and maybe a field trip to the MCA to view MOTHERS in person.  

Help mom feel like the most important person in the world this Mother's Day,   Larkspur is taking orders now!

The Black Petals

(The Black Petals 2009, Mixed Media on Paper, 10.5 x 7.5 inches)

In Tony Fitzpatrick's book entitled "The Train:  An Artist's Journal" he writes about this work, called The Black Petals

which was inspired by the leaves of a calathea plant he purchased from Larkspur.  A passage from his book recalls:

"There is a lovely flower store across the street from my studio called Larkspur.  My friend, Beth Barnett, owns it.  Sometimes when it is gray and shitty in Chicago, which is about eight months a year, I go over there and marvel at the color and smell of her daily inventory of flowers and plants . . . it is one of those pleasures that I live for."

We love the work that Tony makes and we are so very excited that he created a mural based on The Black Petals, directly across the street on the outer fence belonging to Red Door restaurant.

Be sure to check out the mural on Damen Avenue if you are in the Bucktown area!