CHICAGO — Thirty years ago, when Nick Cave made his first Soundsuit — creating the foundation of what would become hundreds of signature costumes and sculptures, assembled with beads, old toys, stuffed animals, synthetic hair and sequins — he wrote in his journal that he was “working toward what I’m leaving behind.” He repeated this often in subsequent decades until it sounded like a mantra or a promise. His first Soundsuit was made in 1992, in response to the acquittal of Los Angeles police officers who beat Rodney King, sparking days of unrest. Made of twigs that Cave gathered in Grant Park, just outside his office then at School of the Art Institute, it gave some shape to his future:
His Soundsuits became reminiscent of the crafting traditions of his family in Missouri, but also resembled the present. They asked how an artist should generate feeling. They advocated for a better tomorrow. They were approachable, sometimes joyful Muppets. And they could appear both prosaic and unsettling, submerging whoever climbed into one, erasing gender and race. When moved, they made noise, offering a new language.
They suggested pelts and bouquets and plumages and parades; they brought together African dance and Carnival and Christmas trees, and seemed to erupt from the ground.
