Soundsuit
Soundsuit
Artist
Nick Cave
(born 1959)
Date2009
MediumFabric with appliquéd crochet and buttons, knitted yarn, and metal armature
Dimensions97 x 26 x 20 in. (246.4 x 66 x 50.8 cm)
ClassificationsMixed Media
Credit LineCrystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas, 2010.59
Accession number
2010.59
On View
Not on viewCollections
Label TextNick Cave’s celebrated Soundsuits series, of which this work is one example, serves as a tool of liberation. The adorned objects, including the hundreds of hand-attached buttons here, become sonically animated when put in motion through dance—hence the name Soundsuit. Cave creates each suit from a huge array of textiles and found objects. He choreographs performances in which dancers wear these elaborate outfits, drawing from African ceremonial practices as well as contemporary theater and street pageantry.
