An average thrift shop can often become a treasure trove and Mark Powell joins a long tradition of artists who find endless inspiration in flea markets.
In the 1920s, the Surrealist writer André Breton would stroll regularly through the Saint-Ouen market in Paris. Man Ray created sculptures from what he found in flea markets, including the neck of a double bass combined with the long hair of a horse (the sculpture, titled Emak Bakia, can be found currently on display at the Tate Modern, London).
The history of art abounds with stories of treasures found in the flea: a Picasso sculpture, a large Pollock canvas, photographs by Diane Arbus, a painting by Basquiat, a signed Chagall stencil bought at the Nice Flea Market for 10 euros.