"Nick Cave: Forothermore" at the Guggenheim

Soundsuits 

The art of Nick Cave in the "Forothermore" exhibit at the Guggenheim stands in sharp contrast to "Alex Katz: Gathering." It's easy to stroll through Katz' work, enjoying the images he's created of Ada and other people from his world. Cave's work asks more of its viewers. 

The exhibit's name provides a clue as to the intention behind Cave's three decades of art making. As the Guggenheim website explains, "The title is a neologism, a new word that reflects the artist's lifelong commitment to creating space for those who feel marginalized by dominant society and culture -- especially working-class communities and queer people of color." In turn, the exhibit was broken into three sections -- "What It Was," "What It Is" and "What It Shall Be." Together, the phrases recall an old African-American greeting as well as Cave's view of the world -- past, present and future. 

Cave's Soundsuits are his work with which I was familiar. They are simultaneously beautiful, mysterious and a bit creepy. Cave began creating these works back in 1992 following the Rodney King beating at the hands of Los Angeles police officers. The suits fully conceal the wearer, denying viewers any information about the identity of the person inside. Originally created as "metaphorical suits of armor," Cave's Soundsuits have morphed into symbols of empowerment. And they are more than static works of art. They are also costumes worn in performances by the artist and other performers. That is something I would love to see. For now, I satisfied myself with this PBS interview with Cave in which you can see some of the Soundsuits in action. Wow.  

"Hustle Coat" (2021) 

I hadn't seen any of Cave's Hustle Suits before, but it's no surprise this one caught my eye given the way it was displayed. The exterior of the work is your standard cotton trench coat. It's a bit hard to see in this picture, but the interior consists of rows of costume jewelry with lots of watches in the mix. A watch with an image of Obama on its face sits at heart level. 

The set up calls to mind the sleazy guy in a trench coat in Times Square offering to sell you a slightly hot watch for a great price. (Of course that's better than the guy flashing something other than watches!) In fact, that was precisely Cave's inspiration for the works. He recalls being a kid on his first trip to Chicago and encountering just such a salesman when he was out and about with his uncle. It made an impression. 

In talking about these works, Cave has said, "The Hustle Coat is really talking about class and excess and surplus, and thinking about, as an artist, getting your hustle on, and what that demands, what that looks like, what that means. And it's also about commerce and selling and this sort of consumption of consumerism, in a sense." That's a lot packed into a single work of art. 

"Sea Sick" (2014)

Cave's works are often comprised of objects found at flea markets and similar venues. Too frequently, he comes across an item with a distinctly racist tone. Case in point: The sculptural caricature of a Black man's head that provides the centerpiece of "Sea Sick." Apparently the top of the man's head opens up and was originally designed as a tobacco holder. A "clever" marketer resold the item as a spittoon. 

The figure is surrounded by oil paintings of schooners and galleons. Perhaps the ships are sailing across the Middle Passage with hulls filled with enslaved people. At the very least, they are a representation of colonialism. This work was first exhibited at a show at Jack Shainman Gallery entitled "Made for Whites by Whites." An article about the exhibit noted the connection between Cave's use of found objects and Duchamp's revolutionary readymades. But while Duchamp outraged viewers by turning everyday items into art (his "Fountain" made from a urinal is a classic), Cave's work with found objects creates a whole different kind of outrage as he comments on racism and other societal woes. 

"Arm Peace" (2018)

I'll leave you with "Arm Peace," one of Cave's sculptures featuring a cast of his own arm and torso. The hand of this disembodied figure is clenched, a gesture associated with the Black Power branch of the Civil Rights Movement and, more recently, the Black Lives Matter movement. It recalls the fists of Tommie Jones and John Carlos standing on the pedestals at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City and of Nelson and Winnie Mandela on the day he was released after 27 years of imprisonment. The circle around the hand is reminiscent of a halo and the flowers call to mind a funeral. Other figures in this series feature an outstretched hand, perhaps a gesture of supplication, and a hand with a finger pointing upwards to the sky or the heavens. They are unsettling. 

To hear Cave talk about his work and this exhibit, click here. "Nick Cave: Forothermore" at the Guggenheim runs through April 10. It's a powerful show.