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Wednesday, April 2, 2014

SOUNDSUITS in BOSTON















Over the weekend, I made a special visit to Boston to see the work of one of my very favorite artists, Nick Cave, at the Institute of Contemporary Art.  (See my original Nick Cave post from over 3 years ago.)  Luckily for me, my two very best friends also live in Boston, so I was able to kill 3 birds with one stone, as it were.

Nick Cave (b. 1959) has built his artistic career on breaking down barriers between visual art, performance, and costume.  His Soundsuits are some of the most beautiful things to behold, and take on an even greater persona when they are worn during Cave's choreographed performances.  I had the pleasure of viewing HEARD•NY last year at Grand Central Station, and discovered firsthand the wonderfully unique and mesmerizing movement of the Soundsuits.  The ICA show, on view through May 4th, includes a number of Cave's ubiquitous suits, which he considers armor for the body.  Also on view are some of Cave's newer works, which extend past the realm of the wearable costume.  I'll never cease to be hypnotized by the detail and beauty of his work, and look forward to seeing another performance where the Sounsuits come to life.

Dress: Vintage
Tights: Hue
Necklaces: Various, with bird ornaments
Pumps: Sam Edelman

Photos of me by Kathy Paciello; other photos by me.

5 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. As I understand, they are meant to be a sort of outer layer of protection, that also function as costumes as in a show or performance. Many of them feature special details that make specific sounds so that when they are worn, they become part of the noise. Additionally, many of the Soundsuits are made using found materials, such as things the artist finds at thrift stores.

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