Object Out Loud: Arman and Nick Cave

Object Out Loud: Arman and Nick Cave is the bold pairing of artistic leaders in a cross-disciplinary and cross-generational dialogue. Both Arman (1928-2005) and Nick Cave (b. 1959) are two of the late twentieth-century’s seminal artists whose work embodies the sculptural process of accumulation: the assembling of numerous found objects, often scavenged from everyday sources. For each artist, their choice of objects—be they decadent or humble—reflects the material and social culture of their time. The visual cacophony that results commands the viewer’s attention and inspires the double meaning of the exhibition’s title. “Object” can act as a noun, referring to a tangible thing in the world. It can also be used as a verb, implying protest or opposition. Here, a surfeit of objects is the raw material for the artists’ spectacular sculptures, even as the objects’ rich associations become vehicles of social commentary or dissent.

The French-American artist, Arman, was a leading figure of 1960s Nouveau Réalisme, or New Realism, which was born out of a rejection of Modernism and its association with consumerism. Arman embraced the refuse of material culture and used its elements, from trash and tools to old musical instruments, to piece together sculptures with an anti-establishment spirit. A selection of his works in the exhibition is situated within the larger social unrest that fueled the 1968 mass protests in France. Cave’s fantastical Soundsuits originated in response to the 1992 assault of Rodney King and the consequent uprisings in Los Angeles. His garments and lavish sculptures constructed out of materials such as yarn, toys, ceramic birds, chains, and figurines often function as symbols of human empowerment envisioned as protection against injustice and society’s ills.

Object Out Loud presents over twenty works of art by two pioneering artists who absorb, reassemble, and spectacularize what already exists in the world. Both Arman and Cave harness the inherent form and power of everyday objects to speak volumes in the hands of an artist.