After much cajoling from the lovely Amber Doe; A few weekends ago, I went to Queens, Manhattan. The Jack Shainman and Mary Boone Art galleries have been exhibiting the phenomenal artist: Nick Cave. His choice of medium, the sound-suit, beats close to my own heart. These suits were created to remove race, gender, age, and any trace of the wearers material, individual, presence. They celebrate life as moving, sound-making (watch the videos) references to the beautiful spirits beneath. We place so much emphasis on the corporeal check-boxes of those around us. Nick Cave wants us to look past all these constructs and celebrate that we are living, we are life, we are vital.
‘Mating Season’ is an encounter of white-haired, boyish bunny figures suggesting a sublime play of fornication, placed in multiple positions.
‘Speak Louder’ comprises a group of figures that unite into one organism. Several of the figures gesture in a manner that reveals emotional references and together speaks of a multiplying figure that becomes an assemblage or a whole. The unifying surface of the piece is constructed from a surge of assorted black buttons. Each button offers the reflection of a memory, a thought, and the inheritance of personal identity. The accumulation of buttons invades a singular cloth producing a choir of voices. These tableaux will provoke new readings of Cave’s work, which in the past has been constructed around the individual figure.
Now off to the Mary Boone Gallery!
The original sound-suit made of twigs, hence the name.
[Issey Miyake APOC sweater, Acne shirt, Pleats Please trousers tied up with red shoelaces, Thrifted J. Shoes boots]
I didn't want to influence you too much, on your own opinions and ideas about art so please enjoy this interview with Mr Cave and let me know your thoughts!
5 comments:
Have been in love with Nick Cave for a while! Why he doesn't make his pieces a little more commercial to put on the market it beyond me...
I love that a lot of his humans have an opening at the face. I consider that part of the body the most representative of one's race, background, etc, almost like a "portal" to the human underneath. In truth, we know that no one can and should be reflected by their facial features, but it's unfortunately how we make haste decisions on a person we don't get to know. We ignore the person inside the portal and just concentrate on its outer features. The person inside the suit is just as interesting as one wearing one of Cave's pieces.
Just my observation! :) Greeeaaat post!
I am over the moon that you enjoyed it. Fantastic post! Thank you for posting the wonderful video xx!
So sad that I missed this. I saw it from the outside, but didn't have a chance to catch the show before I left town. Thank you for the gorgeous photos though!
xx
Tiffany
Duuuude (in my head that sounds terribly American), would quite honestly swim across the ocean just to see this.
John - Are you kidding?! I would tooootally wear everything :P. But you have a good point, maybe he just rejects the fashion world. Lovvveddddd your observations in particular about the portal openings in a few of his pieces.
Amber - <3 you so much!
Tiffany - Glad you got to see something
Syed - I'm sure he'll end up over in London soon enough! PS: When I'm around Tiffany I will on occasion say dude.... But it seems sooo unnatural for me!
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