Nick Cave (performance artist)

Nick Cave

For the musician, see Nick Cave.

Nick Cave (born 1959^[1] in central Missouri, USA) is an American fabric sculptor, dancer, and performance artist. He is best known for his Soundsuits: wearable fabric sculptures that are bright, whimsical, and other-worldly. He also trained as a dancer with Alvin Ailey.^{[citation needed]} He resides in Chicago and is director of the graduate fashion program at School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Early life and education

Nick Cave was raised in Missouri by a single mother. He had many siblings, and the family was of modest means. Cave attributes his interest in found objects and assemblage to his childhood circumstances.^[2]

Cave graduated from the Kansas City Art Institute in 1982, where he learned to sew.^{[citation needed]} Also during his time he began studying dance through an Alvin Ailey program, both in Kansas City and New York City.^{[citation needed]} Cave went on to get his masters from Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan in 1989.^{[citation needed]}

Soundsuits

Cave's first Soundsuit was made of twigs. Other typical materials include dyed human hair, sisal, plastic buttons, beads, sequins, and feathers. The finished pieces bear some resemblance to African ceremonial costumes and masks. His suits are presented for public viewing as static sculptures, but also through live performance, video, and photographs.^{[3] [4]}

Exhibitions

Cave is represented by the Jack Shainman Gallery^[5] , and has exhibited his Soundsuits since 1999.^{[citation needed]} His work was shown at UCLA's Fowler Museum in 2010.^[6]

Solo Exhibitions / Projects^[7]

• 2011- "For Now" -Mary Boone Gallery,New York City, New York^[8]
• 2011 - "Meet Me at the Center of the Earth" -Seattle Art Museum, Washington^[9][10]
• 2010 - "Soundsuits" - Studio la Città, Verona, Italy
• 2010 - "Meet Me at the Center of the Earth", UCLA Fowler Museum of Cultural History, University of California, Los Angeles Los Angeles, California^[11]
• 2010 - "Pattern ID" - featuring Soundsuits, Akron Art Museum, Akron, Ohio
• 2009 - "Meet Me at the Center of the Earth", Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, California
• 2007 - "Second Skins: Sculptural Soundsuits and Tondos", Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville, Jacksonville, Florida
• 2006 - "Soundsuits", Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago, Illinois
• 2006 - Jack Shainman Gallery, New York City, New York
• 2006 - Mattress Factory, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• 2005 - "Soundsuits", Manchester Craftsmen's Guild, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• 2004 - "Soundsuits", Holter Museum of Art, Helena, Montana
• 2003 - Hand Workshop Art Center, Richmond, Virginia
• 2002 - Wright Museum of Art, Beloit, Wisconsin
• 2002 - Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Fort Wayne, Indiana
• 2002 - "Amaigamations", Allentown Art Museum, Allentown, Pennsylvania
• 2000 - "Nick Cave 2000", Duane Reed Gallery, Chicago, Illinois
• 1999 - "Reparations", South Bend Museum of Art, South Bend, Indiana

Images

• Soundsuit, 2008

Further reading

Nick Cave: Meet Me at the Center of the Earth, Dan Cameron, Kate Eilertsen, Pam McClusky, Nick Cave ISBN 978-0615245935

Nick Cave ACE View and artist statement at Art+Culture Editions

References

1. ^ Extended Family - Contemporary Connections at the Brooklyn Museum
2. ^ Finkel, Jori (April 5, 2009). "I Dream the Clothing Electric". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/05/arts/design/05fink.html. 
3. ^ Nick Cave: Meet Me at the Center of the Earth, Dan Cameron, Kate Eilertsen, Pam McClusky, Nick Cave ISBN 978-0615245935
4. ^ Anderson, Kirsten (July 2011). "Dance Dance Evolution: the Soundsuits of Nick Cave". Hi-Fructose 20: 70–79. http://hifructose.com/the-blog/1579-hi-fructose-volume-20-preview.html. Retrieved 8/4/2011. 
5. ^ Jack Shainman Gallery. "Artists". http://www.jackshainman.com/artists.html. Retrieved 8/4/11. 
6. ^ [1]
7. ^ [2]
8. ^ "Mary Boone Gallery:". http://www.maryboonegallery.com/exhibitions/2011-2012/Nick-Cave/index.html. 
9. ^ "Seattle Art Museum:". SAM: "Nick Cave: Meet Me at the Center of the Earth" March 10 - June 5, 2011. Seattle, WA: Seattle Art Museum. http://www.seattleartmuseum.org/exhibit/interactives/nickCave/index.html. Retrieved 8/4/11. 
10. ^ Lightfoot, Judy (March 11, 2011). "S.A.M.’s exhibit of Nick Cave 'soundsuits': a smiling, sumptuous journey". Crosscut. http://crosscut.com/2011/03/11/arts/20712/S.A.M.’s-exhibit-of-Nick-Cave--soundsuits-:-a-smiling,-sumptuous-journey/. Retrieved August 20, 2011. 
11. ^ Abarbanel, Stacey Ravel (10/23/09). "Fowler Museum presents 'Nick Cave: Meet Me at the Center of the Earth,' Jan 10–May 30, 2010". UCLA Newsroom. http://newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/fowler-museum-presents-the-traveling-111442.aspx. Retrieved 8/4/11. 

External links

• Nick Cave's School of the Art Institute of Chicago page and Curriculum Vitae
• New York Times article, April 5, 2009
• San Francisco Chronicle review, April 21, 2009
• San Francisco Bay Guardian interview with Nick Cave, April, 2009
• Yerba Buena Center for the Arts podcast interview with Cave, 2009
• Kansas City Star, January, 2010

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Name	Cave, Nick
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Date of birth	1959
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