Shahzia Sikander
A Kind of Slight and Pleasing Dislocation (Veiled Shiva), 1995
vegetable color, watercolor, dry pigment and tea water on wasli handmade paper
11 x 8 inches / framed 15 3/8 x 18 1/2 inches
Artist, teacher, and most importantly, a messenger, Nick Cave (America 1959-present) is famous for his provocative “Soundsuits”—fantastically elaborate, sculptural body suits that captivate the viewer while raising important questions of...
Artist, teacher, and most importantly, a messenger, Nick Cave (America 1959-present) is famous for his provocative “Soundsuits”—fantastically elaborate, sculptural body suits that captivate the viewer while raising important questions of race, gender, and identity.
Cave created his first Soundsuit in 1992, as a way of dealing with his feelings of intense vulnerability following the Rodney King beating. Constructed from a range of found objects, these suits completely obscure the wearer’s race, gender, and class—protecting and freeing him from any judgment based on unchangeable facets of his identity. Bereft of traditional signifiers, they consciously reject our inherent need to categorize our world, bringing to light our prejudices and preconceptions that we consciously or unconsciously draw upon when making assumptions about those around us.
Referencing traditional African masks and mass-market ephemera, this particular work transforms the wearer into a magnificent, shaman-esque figure, creating a dichotomy between the visible and the invisible. Covered in crocheted pot holders and orbited by vintage metal toys and globes, the suit asks us to consider who we are, how we exist in the world, and how we fit into the current state of affairs. When paired with the mask, the globes also allude to the legacy of imperialism, colonial exploitation, and the historical subjugation of, and discrimination against, African Americans; nightmares of black experience whose effects hauntingly linger in the socio-political climate of today. Within this context, the vintage toys can be seen as signifying a certain innocence—a belief in a just and equitable society, devoid of racial profiling and senseless violence—that has long since faded into memory.
The suit is protective, but it is also constrictive—camouflage the figure is forced to wear out of fear of a system that often seems to look the other way in the face of racially motivated violence and excessive police force. With this in mind, it’s not hard to imagine the knitted concentric circles as targets, manifestations of the same vulnerability Cave felt almost a quarter of a decade ago, and that sadly still remains today. Drawn in by its explosion of color and eccentric, idiosyncratic design, the viewer remains riveted by the emotional power and resonance of this piece. This is Cave’s stunningly poignant commentary on the political realms and harsh realities of black identity in America.
Cave created his first Soundsuit in 1992, as a way of dealing with his feelings of intense vulnerability following the Rodney King beating. Constructed from a range of found objects, these suits completely obscure the wearer’s race, gender, and class—protecting and freeing him from any judgment based on unchangeable facets of his identity. Bereft of traditional signifiers, they consciously reject our inherent need to categorize our world, bringing to light our prejudices and preconceptions that we consciously or unconsciously draw upon when making assumptions about those around us.
Referencing traditional African masks and mass-market ephemera, this particular work transforms the wearer into a magnificent, shaman-esque figure, creating a dichotomy between the visible and the invisible. Covered in crocheted pot holders and orbited by vintage metal toys and globes, the suit asks us to consider who we are, how we exist in the world, and how we fit into the current state of affairs. When paired with the mask, the globes also allude to the legacy of imperialism, colonial exploitation, and the historical subjugation of, and discrimination against, African Americans; nightmares of black experience whose effects hauntingly linger in the socio-political climate of today. Within this context, the vintage toys can be seen as signifying a certain innocence—a belief in a just and equitable society, devoid of racial profiling and senseless violence—that has long since faded into memory.
The suit is protective, but it is also constrictive—camouflage the figure is forced to wear out of fear of a system that often seems to look the other way in the face of racially motivated violence and excessive police force. With this in mind, it’s not hard to imagine the knitted concentric circles as targets, manifestations of the same vulnerability Cave felt almost a quarter of a decade ago, and that sadly still remains today. Drawn in by its explosion of color and eccentric, idiosyncratic design, the viewer remains riveted by the emotional power and resonance of this piece. This is Cave’s stunningly poignant commentary on the political realms and harsh realities of black identity in America.
Exhibitions
Cornell University, Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art. 5 September - 8 December, 2019. "how the light gets in, migration in contemporary art."
Inst. Hirshhorn Museum. Nov 18 1999 - Feb 21 2000. "Shahzia Sikander 'Directions' "
The Drawing Center, NY. Selections Spring '97 Feb 20 - March 29, 1997
The Renaissance Society, Chicago. April, 1998. "Shahzia Sikander"