‘I Was Building a Suit of Armor’: Watch Artist Nick Cave Explain the Origins of His Signature ‘Soundsuit’ Sculptures

For the Chicago-based artist Nick
Cave, trash is treasure. In his hands, the discarded detritus
of everyday life becomes the foundational element of intricately
layered artworks he calls Soundsuits. The works are part sculpture
and part instrument, meant to be worn (often by Cave himself), and
often completely obscure the person inside.

In an exclusive interview filmed as part of Art21’s Art in the Twenty-First Century series back in
2016, Cave described creating a work to honor the slain African
American teenager Trayvon Martin. The Soundsuit, in this case,
consists of a hoodie, sneakers, and jeans flanked by giant
gold-beaded figures.

“From a distance, it looks like
this amazing sort of gold sculptural form,” he tells Art21. “Until you get up close and you
realize that there is someone trapped inside.”

The homage to Martin is in keeping with the origins of the
Soundsuits, which Cave first debuted in 1992 following the beating
of Rodney King. With his immersive installations and raucous
performances, Cave sees himself giving back to the community as a
sort of “change agent.”

Right now, as much of the world remains in a state of lockdown,
Cave is uploading short videos to his Instagram account as an
extension of an exhibition of his work meant to be on view at the
University of Virginia’s Ruffin Gallery.

Despite the show’s abrupt closure, Cave is still finding ways to
use his art to help people through difficult
circumstances. “I want to
change our way of engaging with one another,” he tells Art21. “I want to use art
as a form of diplomacy.”

Watch the video, which originally appeared as part
of Art21’s PBS series Art in the Twenty-First Century, below.
Check out Nick Cave’s “Cultural Stimulus” video
series on Instagram. “Nick
Cave: Spot On” at the University of Virginia’s Ruffin Gallery.
is online now. 

This is an installment of “Art on Video,” a collaboration
between Artnet News and Art21 that brings you clips of newsmaking
artists. A new series of the nonprofit Art21’s flagship series Art
in the Twenty-First Century is available now on PBS. Catch episodes
of other series like “New York Close Up” and “Extended Play” and
learn about the organization’s educational programs
at Art21.org.

The post ‘I Was Building a Suit of Armor’: Watch Artist Nick
Cave Explain the Origins of His Signature ‘Soundsuit’
Sculptures appeared first on artnet News.