IT TAKES
A VILLAGE
TO RAISE
AN ARTIST
Nick Cave talks creativity,
innovation and family.
Words By Grace Banks
Photos by James Prinz Photography.
Courtesy of the artist and
Jack Shainman Gallery, New York
Nick Cave made waves earlier this year when he descended upon
Grand Central in New York, clad in a horse costume. Those
interested in art, yet unfamiliar with Cave, may have perhaps
assumed this was the artist’s breakthrough piece. It’s quite the
contrary. Cave has been working in performance art since he was
a child, and is an artist with a future firmly rooted in his passion
for dance. It’s this zest for his trade which pushes him into the
modern art scene in both New York and internationally.
From an early age, Cave knew there was a unique, creative energy
in dance that appealed to him. It wasn’t just the dance that
enticed, it was the culture around it inspired by his family. As a
child Nick was encouraged to participate in grade school talent
contests where his family - his mom, dad and six brothers - would
support him from the front row. “As a kid, I was always informed
and introduced to this way of thinking and collaborating.” The
family were particularly close and the artist attributes this bond
to the strength and drive in his career. “Unconditional love,
compassionate, supportive — you have that kind of foundation,
surrounded by a village of people that brought on this level of
encouragement.” With unwavering support behind him, Nick set
off to, well, do his thing.
Although he wouldn’t call himself an artist — “I’m not an artist,
I’m a messenger” — after completing his Masters, Cave left with
the ability to “strategically define how to navigate.” He began
to investigate ways to fuse performance and art. “To pull people
together, to create a happening, it was part of a natural way of
working.” It was a forte in which he could completely own. “I
always made everything we all wore, always came up with the
concept and movement in the piece.” The idea of performance as
a message is a clear drive of Cave’s. “It’s a missionary kind of duty,
I want my work to be a vehicle for change. The purpose is not
to be an art star, if that comes along with my studio practice and
beliefs, that’s great.”
How does he convey this message? The body. “I’ve always made
things for the body, to me the body is nothing more than a
carrier.” Cave is inspired by the LA riots, movement and
physical autonomy. The narratives of our bodies is one Nick notes
as significant — “to be a black male in america is the most
amazing thing. It fuels my ideas.” Back to Grand Central station
and the installation performance piece seems entirely on brand
for Cave. Self-defined as “making work from camaraderie of our
city and space” — the future’s bright for this walking messenger.