Speak Louder with Nick Cave- Art as Social Impact
If the holiday cards that Nick gave to his mother as a boy affirmed the impact of art on a person's psyche thru a visceral reaction to a small folded paper that he decorated, then what do you suppose is the design of his infamous Sound Suits if they too, are an extension of greeting cards- what is their intended and unintended impact? I asked Nick Cave last night, in terms of how he views himself as a messenger rather than an artist, using art to explore new languages and new ways of seeing- what inspiration could he speak to that he could offer to the community-based artists in St. Louis as we seek to also open people to the multi-dimensionality of human perspectives? His answer was simple: art does promote change. I'm not sure that Mr. Cave said it in quite those words, but the message was clear- never doubt that creative arts can have an impact on social change. I was too nervous at the sight of him considering my question for a moment before answering, th...