http://blogs.laweekly.com/westcoastsound/nick-cave-at-the-folwer/
Achieved in unison what alone would not have been feasible or even conceivable, the following pictures represent the triumph of the artistic community of Savannah, Georgia, and the Savannah College of Art and Design.
Through his project which integrated the efforts of the entire community, Nick Cave sought to cater his craft to the local environment and produce an outcome which served to benefit all.
I urge you to suspend your disbelief and give yourself to the mercy of Cave and this magical array of sculpture and sound. Seductive, bewildering, enchanting, and enticing, his performance took my breath away and has not ceased to do so upon my frequent and vivid recollections of the night….
Many more to follow!
Conceived during his stay in Savannah, today Nick cave is hard at work on an idea for a sound suit constructed primarily of BALLOONS!
(to be revealed for the first time at the performance tonight!)
Tonight I witnessed a transformation of identities so profound that no amount of preparation could have groomed me for this experience.
To begin the evening, I observed as Nick gathered the dancers together for a group discussion regarding the sound suits. He explained their ability to transform the identity of the wearer from the very moment it embraces the skin, and added that, although equally capable in their talent to create a new persona, they are unique in the sense that every single suit demands a different type of character. Although I did not doubt these assertions, I also did not fully comprehend the gravity of their truth.
It was not until I watched twenty dancers disappear into wardrobe, emerging confidently as the incarnate of their suit, that I understood the power of the costume and its ability to transcend the spirit.
During his pep talk, Nick encouraged the dancers to build themselves into their characters, and to perform with conviction, explaining that to stand motionless on stage if owning the space has the equal integrity of heart-breaking dance moves.
He discussed the evolving infrastructure that defines the dynamic of the show, which is based on the encounters and interaction between these newfound identities.
Moments later, his statements were proven as hip hop dancers twirled in rafetta with the contentment of children entertained by a clown. Redefining their moves to adapt to their costumes, they delighted in the wardrobe and reveled in the company of their troupe.
I watched in amazement, bewildered by the rehearsal’s ability to continue in its climax. This group has truly come together, and in my mind, the show has already proven a success.
Nick ended by saying that he wants people to wake up in the morning and remember the performance.
I assure you, Mr. Cave, we will never forget.
Visual sensory overload in a playground of sound suits:
No time to elaborate but clearly the images can speak for themselves!!!
Now back to rehearsal to see these sculptures come to life… .
I feel as though I am waiting for a Christmas that keeps getting postponed. Although in actuality, the sound suits were never intended to be opened before Thursday, like a child mesmerized by packages in front of the tree, I am desperate to open the large boxes and over eager to inspect what lies inside.
Carefully packaged and shipped from Chicago, the sound suits are not just detained in these large brown boxes, yet in addition (though I cannot imagine why) are stored behind heavy deadbolts secured in equally steadfast doors. It is almost as though they suspect a certain overzealous inquisitor to make it her prerogative to find a way inside.
If that is the case, unfortunately, as the assailant I could not be stopped. Is this a healthy curiosity, or have I become the equivalent of an impassioned defender of animal rights, breaking into university laboratories and releasing the caged mice?
Am I justified to think the suits are ready to dance right out of the box? Feeling the vibrations of the dancers’ steps and the steady beat of the music, from behind closed doors and within secured boxes they long to be set free. It would be negligent of me to just look the other way. It would be a travesty to not just…. take a peak.
It was not hard to subtly slip away from a group of dancers so engaged in their craft, especially tonight with the added dynamic of a dj and live percussion. The true test was the restraint to allow one photograph to suffice.
Tomorrow will be the fourth rehearsal, and I am beginning to understand how this repetition induces evolution. These long hours have no substitute, for it is an unyielding matter of time which must be spent developing this dynamic, this camaraderie, and an unspoken communication between the dancers.
Bear with me, just a little bit longer, for I am certain this climax will be well deserving of the hype.
!!
