Nick Cave (artist)
Nick Cave | |
---|---|
Born | Fulton, Missouri, US | February 4, 1959
Education | Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater |
Alma mater | Kansas City Art Institute (BFA) Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Cranbrook Academy of Art (MFA) University of North Texas |
Known for | Performance art, sculpture |
Notable work | Soundsuit series |
Website | nickcaveart |
Nick Cave (born February 4, 1959) is an American
His first career retrospective museum exhibition opened in May 2022 at the
Early life and education
Nick Cave was raised in Fulton, Missouri, alongside seven brothers by a single mother who encouraged Cave's interest in fashion.[7][8] His grandparents owned a farm in Chariton, Missouri, where Cave would sometimes help care for crops and chickens.[7] He attributes much of his interests in found objects and assemblage to his childhood circumstances.[2] Graduating from Hickman High School in 1977, he enrolled in the Kansas City Art Institute, where he would study fiber arts and later earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1982.[9][10] In 1979, Cave met Alvin Ailey and spent that summer and several summers thereafter in New York, where he studied with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre.[2] After graduating from the Kansas City Art Institute in 1982, he designed displays for the department store, Macy's, and worked professionally as a fashion designer while maintaining his interest in art and dance.[8]
In 1988, Cave earned his M.F.A. degree from
Creative thought and process
Cave's low socio-economic status growing up forced him to repair hand-me-downs from older siblings. He learned to sew, which led to his first Soundsuit.
Influences of
Cave creates most of his pieces in a workshop with several assistants, fabricators, and suppliers, his head assistant being Jen Grygiel. Cave most often commissions fabrication from a shop in Skokie, Illinois, called "Iron and Wire" owned by David Greene.[7]
Work
Soundsuits
Soundsuits are sculptural costumes enveloping the wearer's body in materials including but not limited to dyed human hair, sisal, plastic buttons, beads, wire, sequins, and feathers. Soundsuits camouflage the body, masking and creating a second skin that conceals race, gender, and class, forcing the viewer to look without judgment. In using everyday objects, Cave can create an atmosphere of familiarity while rearranging the objects into interpretive representations of both social and material culture.[14] As race, identity, and gender are generally accepted to form the axis of his work,[14] Cave's soundsuits can telegraph many concepts simultaneously. Their meaning can therefore change based on their environment, movement, fixed state, and/or the inclusion of group choreography.[14][15] The finished pieces bear some resemblance to African ceremonial costumes and masks. The suits also reference carnival costumes, Dogon costumes, Rococo, and ball culture.[1]
Cave's first soundsuit was created in 1992, as a reaction to the beating of Rodney King.[16] Cave collected a large number of sticks and twigs from the ground and fashioned them into a suit that, to his surprise, made sounds when worn.[1] His suits are most often presented for public viewing as static sculptures, but they are also observed through live performance, video, and photography.[17][18] Bringing his interactive creations to life, "Cave regularly performs in the sculptures himself, dancing either before the public or for the camera, activating their full potential as costume, musical instrument, and living icon."[19] He has produced more than 500 soundsuits, since the creation of his first in 1992. He is very much inspired by dance and choreography, which works well with soundsuits because they allow the expression of both arts in one piece. He talks about how he wants his work to be seen without the artist in mind. With the Soundsuits series, the viewer doesn't know the identity, gender, or race of the wearer.
In 2021, Cave was commissioned by the
One of these Soundsuits was chosen by Peter Gabriel to represent his song "Live and Let Live", the final single on his eighth album i/o, released in 2023.[22]
HEARD•NY – Soundsuit performance
In 2013, Cave worked with the dancers of the
A herd of 30 colorful life-size horses broke into choreographed movement—or “crossings”— twice a day for just a week and was accompanied by live music. Each suit, made of brightly-colored synthetic
Choreographed performances such as these show the audience what the soundsuits look and sound like in their true form.
Mixed media
Cave's works outside of his soundsuits are predominantly mixed-media sculptures and large-scale installations[25] that use found objects and brightly colored fabrics. He creates sculptural art that discusses current racial tensions, especially gun violence and its impact on Black men.[26] One such piece is TM 13, a sculpture that responds to the life and 2012 death of Trayvon Martin.[27] After George Zimmerman was acquitted of Martin's murder on July 13, 2013[27] (hence the title "TM 13"), Cave created a powerful sculpture centering on a hoodie, denim pants, a Black mannequin, and sneakers. The sculpture is conspicuously covered in a net, "creat[ing] a kind of Soundsuit for the ghost of Trayvon Martin. A way for a dead black teenager to make an outcry and an uproar, to protest against his undeserved demise".[28]
Cave's mixed-media sculptures often include black doll or mannequin parts (heads, hands, etc.) placed at the center or top of a piece, creating an altar-like semblance. By focusing his pieces in this manner, viewers of his art can "examine the history of trauma and racism, ... the objectification of the black male".[29] His 2014 exhibition Rescue "inspects the idea of servitude and the accompanying stigma within the Black community".[29] Most of these works are not audible, like his 2016–2017 exhibition Until at MASS MoCa, as Cave wants the exhibition participants "to be included – and implicated – in the work"[26] as opposed to focusing on sound and movement. The act of viewing his works with participants seeing one another at the same time is a metaconcept Cave promotes.[26]
Teaching career
Cave has taught extensively at universities across the United States. He began working at the
Exhibitions
Cave has participated in numerous solo exhibitions and shows at galleries and museums in the United States and internationally. His solo shows include New Work (1997),
He has also participated in a number of group exhibitions, including the 51st Venice Biennale (2005) and the NGV Triennial (2017-2018).[33]
Reception
Cave's work has been met with positive reception.
Personal life
Cave's husband is fellow designer Bob Faust.[39][40]
Notable works in public collections
- Metal Ring (c.1995), Philadelphia Museum of Art[41]
- Soundsuit (2005), High Museum of Art, Atlanta[42]
- Soundsuit (2008), Auckland Art Gallery, New Zealand[43]
- Soundsuit (2008), Brooklyn Museum, New York[44]
- Soundsuit (2008), Museum of Fine Arts, Boston[45]
- Soundsuit (2009), Birmingham Museum of Art, Alabama[46]
- Soundsuit (2009), Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.[47]
- Soundsuit (2009), San Francisco Museum of Modern Art[48]
- Soundsuit (2009), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.[49]
- Soundsuit (2010), Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas[50]
- Soundsuit (2010), Detroit Institute of Arts[51]
- Soundsuit (2010), Minneapolis Institute of Art[52]
- Soundsuit (2010), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.[53]
- Soundsuit (2011), Museum of Fine Arts, Houston[54]
- Soundsuit (2011), Museum of Modern Art, New York[55]
- Soundsuit (2011), Weatherspoon Art Museum[56]
- Speak Louder (2011), Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago[57]
- Speak Louder (2011), Kolding, Denmark[58]
- Property (2014), Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, Missouri[59]
- Amalgam (brown) (2015), Museum of Modern Art, New York[60]
- Soundsuit (2015), National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa[61]
- Soundsuit (2015), Melbourne, Australia[62]
- Each One, Every One, Equal All (2021), 42nd Street-Bryant Park stations, Metropolitan Transportation Authority, New York[20]
- Soundsuit 8:46 (2021), Honolulu Museum of Art[63]
References
- ^ a b c d Beckwith, Naomi. "Cave, Nick". Grove Art Online. Oxford Art Online. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
- ^ a b c Finkel, Jori (April 5, 2009). "I Dream the Clothing Electric". The New York Times.
- ^ "Faculty: Nick Cave". School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
- ^ "Nick Cave Is the Most Joyful, and Critical, Artist in America". The New York Times. 15 October 2019. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
- ^ Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
- ^ "Cheryl D. Miller, Graphic Designer and Educator, to Deliver Keynote Address at Rhode Island School of Design 2022 Commencement | RISD". www.risd.edu. 5 April 2022. Retrieved 2022-06-04.
- ^ ISBN 978-0914738862.
- ^ a b c "Nick Cave | The HistoryMakers". www.thehistorymakers.org. Retrieved 2018-11-27.
- Kansas City Star. January 31, 2010.[dead link]
- ^ ISBN 9780615245935.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link - ISBN 9780199995394.
- ^ )
- ^ Lamm, Kimberly (June 2017). ""The Will To Adorn": Nick Cave's Soundsuits and the Queer Reframing of Black Masculinity". Critical Arts: A South-North Journal of Cultural & Media Studies. 31: 35–52.
- ^ a b c "Nick Cave | American artist". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2017-03-11.
- ^ "HEARD•NY - Creative Time". Creative Time. Retrieved 2017-03-11.
- ^ "Art for Justice: A Roundtable with Nick Cave, Bob Faust, Gabrielle Lyon, and Quintin Williams". ocula.com. 2020-11-25. Retrieved 2020-11-25.
- ISBN 978-0-615-24593-5.
- ^ Anderson, Kirsten (July 2011). "Dance Dance Evolution: the Soundsuits of Nick Cave". Hi-Fructose. 20: 70–79. Retrieved 2014-05-07.
- ^ Lacayo, Richard (26 March 2012). "The Noisemaker". Time.
- ^ a b "New Transit Art: Experience the Joyous Nick Cave Installation". MTA Away. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 16 November 2021. Archived from the original on 16 May 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
- ^ Vincler, John (16 May 2022). "Nick Cave Digs Deep, With a Symphony in Glass". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 16 May 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
- ^ "Live and Let Live (Bright-Side Mix), by Peter Gabriel". Peter Gabriel. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
- ^ "Nick Cave on the Galloping Success of His "Heard NY" Performance". Artspace. Retrieved 2018-11-27.
- ^ "Nick Cave's "HEARD•NY" – Creative Time". Creative Time. Retrieved 2018-11-27.
- ^ "Soft Sculpture Survey: Nick Cave". Portland Garment Factory. Retrieved 2017-03-11.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-03-11.
- ^ a b "Trayvon Martin". Biography. Retrieved 2017-03-11.
- ^ "On Encountering Indifferent Objects – ∞ mile Detroit". www.infinitemiledetroit.com. Retrieved 2017-03-11.
- ^ a b "Artist Nick Cave Puts Racism on Display". GOOD Magazine. 2014-09-17. Retrieved 2017-03-11.
- ^ a b "Fashion Design". School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Retrieved 2018-11-27.
- ^ "Tryon Fine Arts Center". Tryon Fine Arts Center. Retrieved 2018-11-27.
- ^ "Nick Cave – Jack Shainman Gallery". www.jackshainman.com. Retrieved 2018-11-27.
- ^ a b "Nick Cave CV" (PDF). Jack Shainman Gallery. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 May 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
- ^ "Nick Cave's MCA Retrospective Will Be Part of Citywide Celebration". Chicago Gallery News. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
- ^ "Nick Cave fights racism with beauty". Chicago Sun-Times. 2022-09-06. Retrieved 2024-04-03.
- ^ "Nick Cave's Chicago Studio Is Just As Fascinating and Colorful As His Artworks". Galerie. 2022-03-18. Retrieved 2024-04-03.
- ^ Brehmer, Debra (2022-09-29). "The Joyous Kitsch and Lingering Simmer of Nick Cave's Art". Hyperallergic. Retrieved 2024-04-03.
- ^ Cave, Nick (2024-02-01). "Nick Cave - The Red Hand Files - Issue #271 - Holy shit, Nick, I just read Mark's question and your response. (Issue #270) It was devastating. It appears that answering to people's grief is somewhat cathartic for you. The pouring of emotions, and open dialogue of such agonizing life experiences is not something that comes easy to most. Is it cathartic? [ ]". The Red Hand Files. Retrieved 2024-04-03.
- ^ 10 Designers of the Moment, Newcity, March 2020.
- ^ "Nick Cave Uses His Capital to Help Aspiring Artists", The New York Times, 2018/11/01
- ^ "Metal Ring". Philadelphia Museum of Art. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
- ^ "Soundsuit". High. High Museum of Art. Archived from the original on 17 May 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
- ^ "Soundsuit". Auckland Art Gallery. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
- ^ "Soundsuit". Brooklyn Museum. Archived from the original on 20 April 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
- ^ "Soundsuit". MFA. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Archived from the original on 17 May 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
- ^ "Soundsuit". Arts BMA. Birmingham Museum of Art. Archived from the original on 16 April 2021. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
- ^ "Soundsuit". Hirshhorn. Smithsonian Institution. Archived from the original on 17 May 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
- ^ "Soundsuit". SFMoMA. San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Archived from the original on 15 November 2020. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
- Smithsonian Museum of American Art. Archivedfrom the original on 8 March 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
- ^ "Soundsuit". Crystal Bridges. Archived from the original on 17 May 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
- ^ "Soundsuit". DIA. Detroit Institute of Arts. Archived from the original on 17 May 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
- ^ "Soundsuit". MIA. Minneapolis Institute of Art. Archived from the original on 13 June 2021. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
- ^ "Soundsuit Nick Cave 2010". SAAM. Smithsonian American Art Museum. Archived from the original on 8 March 2022. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
- Museum of Fine Arts Houston. Archivedfrom the original on 17 May 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
- ^ "Soundsuit". MoMA. Museum of Modern Art. Archived from the original on 22 April 2021. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
- ^ "Nick Cave". Weatherspoon Art Museum. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
- Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago. Archivedfrom the original on 17 May 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
- ^ "Speak Louder". Kunstindeks Danmark (in Danish). Retrieved 17 May 2022.
- ^ "Property". Nelson Atkins. Archived from the original on 17 May 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
- ^ "Amalgam (brown)". MoMA. Museum of Modern Art. Archived from the original on 17 May 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
- ^ "Soundsuit". NGC. National Gallery of Canada. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
- ^ "Soundsuit". NGV. National Gallery of Victoria. Archived from the original on 17 May 2021. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
- ^ "Honolulu Museum of Art Acquires Soundsuit by American Artist Nick Cave". Art and Object. 22 October 2021. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
Further reading
- Cameron, Dan; Eilertsen, Kate; McClusky, Pam; Cave, Nick (2010). Nick Cave: Meet Me at the Center of the Earth. Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. ISBN 978-0-615-24593-5.
- O’Grady, Megan (July 1, 2020). "A Public Art Project Devoted to Dismantling Racism at Every Level". ISSN 0362-4331.
External links
- Official website
- "Soundsuit," Baltimore Museum of Art Google Art Project
- "At Home and in the Studio with Nick Cave: Home Tour". TRNK.
- Huston, Johnny Ray (2009-04-09). "A Q&A with Nick Cave". Pixel Vision. San Francisco Bay Guardian.
- Art21: Nick Cave
- ALL ARTS: Nick Cave Is Throwing a Dance Party, and Everyone Is Invited
- Nick Cave: Forothermore (Guggenheim Museum Produced Documentary)