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Nick Cave, Soundsuit, 2010, fabric, beads, and sequins, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Fleur S. Bresler, 2021.48.1, © Nick Cave. Photo by James Prinz Photography. Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York
Copied
Artwork Details
- Title
- Soundsuit
- Artist
- Date
- 2010
- Location
- Not on view
- Copyright
- © Nick Cave. Photo by James Prinz Photography. Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York
- Credit Line
- Gift of Fleur S. Bresler
- Mediums Description
- fabric, beads, and sequins
- Highlights
- Subjects
- Dress
- Object Number
- 2021.48.1
Artwork Description
Trained as a fiber artist and dancer, Nick Cave named his ongoing series of Soundsuits for the rustling he heard as he moved around in his first suit.
In the aftermath of the beating of Rodney King by Los Angeles police officers in 1991, Cave imagined these Soundsuits as protective shields capable of masking a person’s identity. Extravagantly ornamented, the suits also explore the tension between “low craft” and “high art.” They are often made from found objects and incorporate a wide range of cultural references, from American craft techniques to African dance rituals.
This Present Moment: Crafting a Better World, 2022
Exhibitions
May 13, 2022–April 2, 2023
This Present Moment: Crafting a Better World showcases the dynamic landscape of American craft today.