Athens, Ga. – The University of Georgia Lamar Dodd School of Art welcomes fabric and performance artist Nick Cave to campus on Sept. 21 as part of the visiting artist and lecture series. Cave, professor and chair of the Fashion Department at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago where he teaches in the Fiber Arts program, will give a lecture at 5:30 p.m. in room S151 of the art school. The lecture is free and the public is invited to attend.
Cave’s diversity of influences and training in the fabric arts, from textile and materials, to an interest in dance and his own African heritage, has helped establish a unique career as an artist. While enrolled at the Kansas City Art Institute, Cave studied with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre in New York City. He practiced professionally as a fashion designer before earning his MFA from the Cranbrook Academy of Art. Cave has established a reputation as a performance artist with his “Soundsuits,” sculpted, full-body costumes layered in metal, plastic, fabric and found objects designed to reverberate with the movements of the wearer, often the artist himself. Cave’s Soundsuits are the subject of an 8-page feature in the September 2010 issue of Vogue magazine.
“Cave is an incredible fabric artist who deals with materials in a profound way, but it’s the multi-faceted combinations in his work that can really engage a broader audience,” said Clay McLaurin, assistant professor of art and area chair of fabric design in the art school. “The background in textiles and construction he now brings to fashion students is less about commerce and more about creating, finding your own voice and honing in on your identity outside of what the public might want.”
The Lamar Dodd School of Art is located at 270 River Road on the UGA campus; S151 is located on the first floor of the building. For more information, see http://art.uga.edu
