Pattern Pulp

Book Review: Nick Cave's Latest




Not too long ago, we were strolling through The Strand bookstore and happened upon Nick Cave’s book, Meet Me at the Center of the Earth. We flipped through a few pages, smiling as we remembered when we first discovered his work, and were once again amazed by his talent. The pages literally pop with all of the wonderful colors and textures resplendent in his creations. Then the September issue of Vogue came out with some of Cave’s latest movable sculptures, surely garnering him a few more fans and, as we’ve noted, seemingly inspiring a legion of monster-esque, highly texturized and transformed models. If you’re interested in his work and have never made it to one of his exhibitions – or even if you have – this book is a wonderful catalogue of his work and a stunning piece to own as its content is a feast for the eyes.

Pattern and Pitch with Nick Cave




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While many of you probably think we’re talking about this Nick Cave, we’re not, as his Chicago doppelganger is just as intriguing and has taken the US art world by storm over the past decade.  Cave’s wearable sculptures merge two of his favorite worlds: modern dance and found objects.  Each costume is named specifically for the sound it emits while worn and is comprised of organic materials, elaborate patterns and varied embellishments.  While Cave’s work has a touch of haute couture, it’s most reminiscent of ritualistic dressing.  Through his professional past at The Alvin Ailey Dance Company coupled with his now ten-year old fashion line, Cave makes sense of these two worlds in Recent Soundsuits, his latest exhibition at the  Jack Shainman Gallery. Each suit beautifully conceals the wearer’s identity, blurring gender and race while exaggerating sound and texture.  This anonymity provides a stepping stone into the “realm of dream and fantasy,” bringing new meaning to the sentiment of patterns having pitch.

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Each of Cave’s furry costumes look like couture versions of the famed monsters from Where the Wild Things Are, a cult children’s classic from the 60’s.  Take a look at the trailer for the highly anticipated film that’s releasing this Fall.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwupTQt9zxY]

A short video documenting Nick Cave’s design process.

Additional contributions by Emily Gup.

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