Artist Nick Cave turns sundry materials, such as cast-off clothing, flea market discoveries, and dyed human hair, into transformative “soundsuits” that double as sumptuous sculptures.
Cave (not to be confused with the musician of the same name) draws from sources as varied as African ceremonial costumes, Tibetan textiles, and pop-culture creatures. His elaborate suits aren’t just objects pegged to a pedestal; they’re meant to be worn, vitalized through movement and the sounds they make. In fact, the dance-trained artist is working toward a 90-suit performance that he’ll take around the world.
Read a New York Times feature about Cave, listen to his interview at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, visit his current exhibition at UCLA’s Fowler Museum, buy the exhibition catalogue
, and peek at past shows at his New York gallery.
Images: Nick Cave, Soundsuits, Photos by James Prinz, Courtesy Jack Shainman Gallery, New York.