Nick Cave (artist) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nick Cave
Born	(1959-02-04) February 4, 1959 (age 66) Fulton, Missouri, US
Education	Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
Alma mater	Kansas City Art Institute (BFA) Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Cranbrook Academy of Art (MFA) University of North Texas
Known for	Performance art, sculpture
Notable work	Soundsuit series

Nick Cave (born February 4, 1959) is an American artist known for his amazing sculptures, dance, and performance art. He is also a professor. He is most famous for his Soundsuit series. These are colorful, playful, and unique sculptures that you can actually wear! They are often made from everyday objects he finds.

Nick Cave also trained as a dancer with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. He often mixes dance and performance into his art. Later, his sculptures started focusing on how colors work together. These pieces often use different materials and are very large. He lives in Chicago, Illinois, and leads the fashion program at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He continues to create Soundsuits and other art.

His first big museum show, looking back at all his work, opened in May 2022. It was at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago. Now, you can see it at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York until April 2023. He also received a special art degree in June 2022.

Growing Up and Learning

Nick Cave grew up in Fulton, Missouri, with seven brothers. His single mother encouraged his interest in fashion. His grandparents owned a farm where he helped with crops and chickens. He says his childhood, especially finding and using old things, inspired his art.

After primary school, Nick moved to Columbia, Missouri. He went to West Junior High and graduated from Hickman High School in 1977. An art teacher there suggested he go to the Kansas City Art Institute. He studied fiber arts and earned his degree in 1982. In 1979, he met Alvin Ailey, a famous dancer. Nick spent several summers studying dance in New York.

After college, he designed displays for Macy's department store. He also worked as a fashion designer. But he always kept his passion for art and dance alive. In 1988, he earned another degree from Cranbrook Academy of Art. He also took classes at the University of North Texas. In 1989, he started teaching fiber arts at the Art Institute of Chicago. He also runs his own clothing company in Chicago.

How Nick Cave Creates Art

Growing up, Nick Cave had to fix hand-me-down clothes from his older brothers. This taught him how to sew. This skill later led to his first Soundsuit. Before that, his art was very different. He says making the Soundsuit changed his art completely.

His art is inspired by many things. These include African art, armor, special ceremonial clothes, and fancy fashion. He also uses everyday objects. All these ideas help him express many different concepts. Most of his work is 3D, meaning you can walk all around it. But sometimes he makes flatter pieces that are more like paintings.

His art often explores how we deal with being vulnerable. He wants to change how we experience our world. With his performance art, he brings different communities together. They share the experience of his art. He wants people to see his pieces as art, not just costumes. Nick Cave sees himself as a messenger, not just an artist. His work often deals with big public displays and responsibility.

One example is his piece called Augment. It has five large sculptures made from over 1,000 inflatable lawn decorations sewn together. These sculptures were shown in Boston in 2019. Then, they were part of a parade to spread joy through different neighborhoods. Over 75 artists and 500 people joined the parade. This helped connect the two neighborhoods.

Nick Cave makes most of his art in a workshop. He works with assistants and people who help build his pieces.

Amazing Artworks

The Soundsuits

Soundsuit (2009), Smithsonian American Art Museum

Soundsuit (2010), Renwick Gallery

Soundsuits are special costumes that cover the whole body. They are made from many different materials. These include dyed human hair, plant fibers, plastic buttons, beads, wire, and feathers. When someone wears a Soundsuit, it hides their race, gender, and social class. This makes viewers look at the art without judging the person inside.

By using everyday objects, Nick Cave makes his art feel familiar. But he arranges them in new ways. This helps people think about society and culture. His Soundsuits often explore ideas about race, identity, and gender. Their meaning can change depending on where they are shown. It also changes if they are moving or if many people are wearing them together. The finished suits look a bit like African ceremonial costumes and masks. They also remind people of carnival costumes and fancy fashion.

Nick Cave made his first Soundsuit in 1992. This was after the beating of Rodney King, which made him feel upset. He gathered sticks and twigs from the ground. He made them into a suit. To his surprise, it made sounds when he wore it! His suits are often shown as still sculptures in museums. But you can also see them in live performances, videos, and photos. Nick Cave himself often performs in the sculptures. He dances for the public or for the camera. This brings the costumes to life as art, musical instruments, and living symbols.

He has created over 500 Soundsuits since 1992. Dance and choreography inspire him greatly. The Soundsuits are perfect for combining both arts. He wants his work to be seen without thinking about the artist. With the Soundsuits, you don't know who is wearing them.

In 2021, Nick Cave created a permanent art piece for the New York City Subway. It is in the Times Square-42nd Street and 42nd Street-Bryant Park subway stations. The work, called Each One, Every One, Equal All, has mosaic tile murals. They show real and imagined Soundsuits and hanging sculptures. There are also videos of the Soundsuits moving. A critic from The New York Times called the figures in the art "joyous." He said the piece "feels like a necessary correction" in the busy subway.

One of these Soundsuits was even chosen by musician Peter Gabriel. It represented his song "Live and Let Live" in 2023.

HEARD•NY – A Soundsuit Performance

In 2013, Nick Cave worked with dancers from the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. He used to dance with them! Together, they created HEARD•NY. This performance happened in Grand Central Terminal's Vanderbilt Hall in New York City. HEARD•NY was more than just a visual show. It was about ceremony, identity, and dreams in city life.

A group of 30 colorful, life-size horse costumes moved in choreographed dances. This happened twice a day for a week. Live music played along with them. Each horse suit was made of bright plant fibers. Two dancers from the Alvin Ailey Dance Company operated each suit. This project celebrated Grand Central Terminal's 100th birthday. Nick Cave's Soundsuits are truly meant to be seen in motion.

Performances like HEARD•NY show the audience what the Soundsuits look and sound like when they are truly alive. A Soundsuit sculpture is part of the Colección SOLO museum. It is shown in their permanent collection and in special exhibitions.

Mixed-Media Art

Nick Cave also creates other types of art. These are mostly sculptures and large installations. They use found objects and bright fabrics. He makes art that talks about current social issues. This includes gun violence and its effect on Black men.

One piece is TM 13. This sculpture responds to the life and death of Trayvon Martin in 2012. After the person accused of Martin's murder was found not guilty in 2013, Cave created this powerful sculpture. It features a hoodie, denim pants, a Black mannequin, and sneakers. The sculpture is covered in a net. It's like a Soundsuit for Trayvon Martin's spirit. It's a way for a young Black teenager to protest his unfair death.

Nick Cave's mixed-media sculptures often include parts of black dolls or mannequins. These are placed in the center or on top of the piece. This makes them look like altars. By doing this, viewers can think about the history of unfair treatment and racism. They can also think about how Black men are sometimes seen as objects. His 2014 show Rescue explored the idea of serving others and the unfair feelings that can come with it in the Black community.

Most of these works do not make sound. For example, his 2016–2017 show Until at MASS MoCa. Nick Cave wants people to feel like they are part of the art. He wants them to be involved, instead of just focusing on sound and movement. He wants people to see each other while viewing his art.

Teaching Art

Cave preparing young artists for HEARD-NY performance

Nick Cave has taught at many universities across the United States. He started teaching at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1989. He was a professor in the Fiber and Material Studies Department. Later, he joined the Fashion Department. As of 2018, he leads the graduate fashion program and is the department chair. He has also been a visiting teacher and artist at other places. These include Beloit College and the University of Arizona.

Art Shows and Exhibitions

Nick Cave has had many solo art shows. These have been in galleries and museums in the U.S. and around the world. Some of his solo shows include New Work (1997) in Kansas City, Missouri, and Nick Cave: A Quarter Til Ten (2006-2007) in Pittsburgh. His show Until (2016-2021) started in North Adams, Massachusetts. His first big museum show, Nick Cave: Forothermore, opened in 2022 in Chicago. It then moved to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York.

He has also been part of many group shows. These include the 51st Venice Biennale (2005) and the NGV Triennial (2017-2018).

Personal Life

Nick Cave's husband is also a designer, named Bob Faust.

Famous Art in Public Collections