FEATURE
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Photo contributed by Nick Cave
Photo contributed by Nick Cave
Tribe of many colors: Dancers, including Jessica Molina, 2009 graduate, in yellow, model "soundsuits" in an installation performance piece by Kansas City and Chicago artist Nick Cave. The performance was part of celebrations for the 125th anniversary of the Kansas City Art Institute and represented an emerging trend of art — interactive experiences that break away from static, two-dimensional paintings and drawings.
shows or performance pieces which are done within the installations."
Storck says he wants his art to reach people, especially those who care about art. In the long term, however, Storck wants his art to be able to communicate and connect with people in different cultures, present and future, about the qualities and issues pertaining to this culture. "Art has a power like that," Storck says. "When you walk through a museum and check out works from all over the world of all ages, you can get a feeling for what the people were thinking about, what they cared about. I want to take part in that cultural exchange."
Kyle Davis, Alma senior, is a prime example of embracing the rule of no limitations. As an architecture major, Davis says his designing motivations can derive from artistic origins. Davis has always been interested in building furniture. After taking an independent study course focusing on tensegrity, non-gravitational based structures made from smaller parts that are suspended in tension apart from each other, he found that the separation between installation art and architecture can be pretty blurred.
"Good architecture should excite and delight the senses, or at least cause some kind of emotional response," he says. "Architecture can be considered a little more permanent of an installation."
Nick Cave, graduate of the Kansas City Art Institute and director of the graduate fashion program at the School of Art Institute of Chicago, made the Kansas City debut of his Soundsuit performance art production at Bartle Hall on Feb. 20 for The Kansas City Art Institute's 125th Anniversary Gala.
as more of a sculpture piece, collecting and compiling tiny twigs into a handmade, one-piece body suit. It was not until later, when he tried the suit on, that he realized its true capacity. "I want people to associate something familiar with the sounds of the suit by making a direct connection or reference, not necessarily a western civilization connection," Cave says. "It's more of a ritual, carnivorous dress."
Raised in Folton, Mo., Cave says he always felt a satisfaction in performance, even at a young age. "I remember feeling so much joy performing for my family at picnics when I was a little boy. I remember feeling a family connection, even then." Cave says.
It wouldn't be long until his feeling would drive him to apply for the Kansas City Art Institute where he studied painting, drawing, textiles, dancing and performance art. Within a few years, Cave has established himself in the art community with the introduction of his soundsuits. Cave initially built his first soundsuit.
Cave says that he feels fulfilled in his mixed-media collaboration of the Soundsuits and dance performance he directed. "I've done what I was set out to do," he says. "I came here and allowed the community to build this show. The 32 performers and I bridged the gap together of gender, race and sexuality. It was an outreach process, as a medium, to exercise my expression."
Cave believes the application of mixed-media art has always been fair game and artists are continuing to use what they will to best support a particular project."Nothing has changed in that sense. Artists are operating the same way as ever by opening themselves up to anything in order to complete a vision and express an idea. We're just seeing it in ever-evolving forms."
Jessica Molina, 2009 graduate, isn't shy about dipping her finger into too many projects. Molina graduated with a BFA in expanded media with a focus in dance and sculpture. While at school, she had installation and mixed-media work shown in the art and design gallery as well as Murphy Hall. Molina performed as a dancer in Nick Cave's Sounduit performance in February in on of his hand-made, multi-colored suits, resembling a tribal dance. "Working with Nick Cave was a ground-breaking experience for me," Molina says. "The massive production scale and integration of different mediums he put together in just one show blew my mind. It also showed me how to put together a huge artistic collaboration into an amazing multi-media performance."
Molina has not only had experience with performance art, but also dove head-first into her own interpretations of mixed-media and art installation. Molina's work can range anywhere from site-specific installation art to performance art pieces with interactive elements.
In discussing installation art, Molina says it doesn't matter whether it's a virtual reality or 800 pounds of human hair weaved into a massive braid; installation has the advantage of creating an interactive experience. "Installation artists today are continuously embracing new technology and mediums to incorporate into their work," Molina says. "They're always taking information in and utilizing their surroundings."
"My main goal is to get people to think in ways they've never confronted before," Molina says. "I try to avoid telling them what they should necessarily think or believe. I want people to use their brains to form their own opinions and thoughts."
PLACES YOU CAN CONNECT WITH INSTALLATION ART
Molina says she was drawn to mixed-media and art installation because of the artistic freedom. She tries to transform space and create an experience that the participant can embrace.
Spencer Museum of Art, 1301 Mississippi St.
First Fridays, various venues in the Crossroads district, Kansas City, Mo.
Local artist Aaron Storck's work, "Altar to magical thinking and garbage realities on imaginary slag heap (expressed as new kind of painting 2009-10)," will be showing at the Dolphin Gallery, 1600 Liberty St. in Kansas City, Mo., through May 8th
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