We had the good fortune of connecting with Mary Little and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mary, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
Persistence. Throughout my career I’ve been determined and fortunate to be able to make work that has been acquired by collectors, institutions and individuals. Those people provided me with the emotional courage to continue creating and exploring new directions.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I spent seven years studying to be a designer, including three years at the Royal College of Art in London. Though during that time, I thought and worked more as an artist. I was an awkward student. For a long time, my interest was focused on how we feel and look when seated – the sensory side of sitting. I graduated during a recession and learned to improvise and be adaptable. I couldn’t afford a studio and had little or no resources, the one inexpensive medium that I had to hand was cloth. I bought machinery and equipment with a grant from the British Crafts Council. I could sew already and taught myself simple pattern making techniques from fashion and costume construction books. At this time, I began to develop distinctive three-dimensional forms solely constructed from cloth. The materials I used were tactile and beautiful. And as I gained clients and commissions for chairs and sofas, I was able to work with more exquisite, high quality fabrics. I participated in many exhibitions, had a solo show in London – several museums acquired chairs from this period, including the V&A Museum in London and The Vitra Design Museum in Switzerland.

I taught in San Francisco for the first few years of living in the U.S., then moved to the east coast to set up a design studio then eventually moved to Los Angeles looking for a new direction. Around that time, I visited my mum in the countryside in Northern Ireland and realized how deeply my aesthetic had been shaped by the gently rolling landscape of the farmland I grew up among. Back in LA I decided to pare back to the minimum, dropping the function, focusing on simple plain fabric and pinning the outcome to the wall – taking it off the floor. Those restrictions have given me enormous freedom to be creative.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?

I LOVE having friends to visit wherever in the world I have settled.

Los Angeles is not itself during these Covid times. In normal times on a Saturday we’d maybe start out with breakfast at Manuela, the restaurant in Hauser & Wirth, then wander around their galleries and visit the chickens. Alternatively, we’d drop in on our neighbor, painter Lawrence Fodor, with coffee and pastries from the Bread Lounge, our favorite bakery in the Arts District, to see what he’s working and hang out on his roof deck.

When friends come to LA, especially those from abroad. I would make sure that in crisscrossing the city they would learn it’s not all glamor and beauty.

The first thing we would do is an orientation of the city. It is such a fascinating place with so many distinctly different neighborhoods that change character so abruptly. The contrasts are incredible, for example, think of how different Vernon is to Beverly Hills.

A mini tour of downtown, where I live and work, would set the scene, starting the day at the flower market – a huge bunch of flowers always makes me happy. Then a stop at Grand Central Market an indoor wonderland of markets and street food would be followed by a visit to the Bradbury Building, where Blade Runner with Sigourney Weaver was filmed. From there we could walk up the hill to the Disney Concert Hall and a walk around the garden and climb the external stairs to the top of the building for a view over the city. Taking care not to touch the metal cladding in the summer, as its hot! Then over to The Row. I like to walk 10 floors to the top of the parking lot to sit among the wildflower garden and take in the 360-degree view over the city. The stores there are such a contrast – from the secretive Bodega clothing store to the sophisticated A&R contemporary design store. Dinner would definitely be at Zinc on Mateo for a delicious vegetarian dinner in the olive tree filled garden.

I would plan at least one day touring galleries, even though LA has enough galleries to take a week to visit. I would begin five minutes from where I live. On S Santa Fe is Vielmetter Gallery in the same building as Gavlak and Wilding Cran. This is where I currently have an exhibition in the Gallery on the Rooftop, through April 23. From there I could take my guests into Boyle Heights to Parrasch Heijnen to see some modernist sculpture alongside contemporary art. Other favorite galleries sprinkled all over the city are Various Small Fires, Nonaka Hill, Blum & Poe, and David Kordansky. Oh, there are so many more, but I don’t want to hit you with a long list.

I love calling into JFChen’s showroom that I personally think of as more of a museum. He has the most iconic furniture from all periods that he imports from around the world. That is within walking distance to Regan Projects and Tanya Bonakdar galleries.

In West Hollywood I take any opportunity to visit Mudd who make porcelain plates and bowls in the most delicate color ranges, and their neighbor Vitsoe who manufacture timeless aluminum bookshelves designed by German designer Dieter Rams. Just across from them is the jewelry store, August and my favorite clothing store, Noodle Stories. I couldn’t leave the neighborhood without visiting Garde. Though I might skip that if I were able to book a night or two in their guest house above their destination design store in Summerland.

A day in Pasadena at The Huntington is always inspiring. They have gardens with extensive collections of mature succulent plants to wander through and the Japanese Gardens and tea rooms.

Another ‘day trip’ would be to the Hammer Museum, taking in the art exhibitions, lunch and drinks at the restaurant, Lulu, opened recently by Bay Area’s Alice Waters and there’s often something happening in the theater in the evening. If lucky it would be a lecture or discussion on an artist, they are featuring. From there we could go to Venice Beach for the last hour of the day to visit LA Louver gallery. Then it would be a culinary experience buying fish and chips at The Wee Chippy to eat walking along the boardwalk. I would love to just sit on the sand and watch the waves wave and the sun set, ignoring complaints of damp bottoms, eating big thick chips generously doused with salt and malt vinegar.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
P2 – It’s vital that we all have genuine, critical support. I think this can be particularly important for artists who really are in a bubble of their own. Although there have been some very difficult times in my career, I have been incredibly fortunate to have had support, mentorship and encouragement from several people, at different stages. If I have to choose one, well two really, it would be Diane and Marc Grainer. They have been pivotal in my career. They were early collectors of my work. They mentored and encouraged me. They supported my move to the U.S. and they became good friends.

Website: https://www.marylittle.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marylittlestudio/

Other: Lineage digital presentation, spring 2022 https://vimeo.com/695499673  Brea digital presentation, fall 2021 https://vimeo.com/598522971   Unearth digital exhibition, spring 2021 https://vimeo.com/517299075/375a163cd5

Image Credits
Image #1 – Portrait – Photography by Sidney Brown Images #2-8 – Mary Little Studio

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