Nick Cave: Soundsuit
Immediate Response:
When I look at this sculpture, I immediately think of some sort of masquerade or tribal celebration. I know that there is a person inside wearing this suit, as I can see a pair of feet at the bottom of the image. It honestly feels very alien, and is pretty terrifying. The face appears to be some sort of basket, and the rest of the suit looks as if it is made up of branches or pieces of wood. This sculpture really makes me want to see it when the person inside is moving around. My immidiate reaction if I saw this in public would be scared.
Objective Description:
To the person who can’t see this sculpture: Imagine a human being through on a large suite that was entirely made up of small little branches from a tree, covering them from head to toe. The head piece is a large circular basket that’s bottom is facing directly towards you. Above the head are more branches and twigs that are jutting outwards like spikes almost. The persons hands are covered, but feet are showing, which are the only parts of the body that you can see.
Technical Decisions:
This sculpture is very dynamic and carries with it a lot of movement (actual motion). This piece is constructed out of twigs and small branches, which was carefully chosen by the artist to convey a deeper political meaning. It appears that sculpture or “suit” was painstakingly assembled, as there are clearly hundreds of tiny twigs that were collected from parks around Chicago. The artist explained that when he makes a new piece he needs to conquer it alone, but once he has a model to follow he hires assistants to help because of the long and tedious process. This piece is presented on a human body, as it is worn. This piece is not supposed to be touched by viewers, however, it completely grasps the attention of its audience when someone runs around or dances in it. The sound the suit creates as it moves through space is another huge aspect of the artwork and its connection to the audience.
The Work in the World:
Because this piece is made up of twigs from tress, I associate it with nature. If I didn’t know the purpose of using twigs to create this suit, then I would assume the artist is trying to convey some sort of connection between humans and nature, as a human wearing the suit is completely engulfed in tree. These twigs are clearly no longer living, which could be another hidden meaning that the artist is trying to tell.
The Story it Tells:
This “soundsuit” was created by Nick Cave. Cave was sitting in a park in Chicago one day when he became emotional over the Rodney King incident, the LA riots. He asked himself what it would feel like to be discarded, dismissed, and profiled. Then he found the twig sitting on the ground next to him, and began to collect every twig in the park. When he returned to his studio, he constructed the suit, a “shield of armor, something that I could shield myself from the world and society.” When I interpret this work, I look at it as a magical suit that transforms someone to completely an anonymous being. The reason I believe this is because when I look at this suit, I am completely taken back, as it is something I have never seen before. It is completely alien to my eyes.