WHEN:
January 10 – March 15, 2025
WHERE:
Jack Shainman Gallery
46 Lafayette Street
New York
For more information and tickets visit the Jack Shainman Gallery website.
A spokesperson describes the event as follows:
“...Cave introduces two distinct series that push his singular style and vision to an epic realm, while maintaining an intimate and personal conversation with his audience. Anchoring the exhibition is a series of three large bronze sculptures, titled Amalgams. These contemporary monuments create a positive, inclusive and resilient alternative to the plethora of public art that has often misrepresented history, silenced diverse voices and commemorated war and conquest. The Amalgams are an evolution of Cave’s iconic Soundsuits, which were created in response to the brutal beating of Rodney King by police in 1991. They concealed race, gender and class to force the viewer to engage without preconceived judgment. In the new Amalgams Cave fuses casts from his own body with natural forms such as flowers, birds and trees with similar effect.
In a storefront window on Broadway, a third Amalgam is seated against a bright backdrop, visible at all times to New York City passersby. Together, the Amalgams are embodiments of growth and resistance in the face of oppressive structures. They continue the propulsion within Cave’s practice towards public engagement and the civic and social responsibility of artwork.
Debuting alongside these bronze figures is Cave’s newest series, Graphts. These mixed media assemblages situate needlepoint portraits of the artist amongst fields of florals and color constructed from vintage serving trays. While Cave has often used his own body within his artwork, this is the first time that he has revealed a recognizable self. Together, the Amalgams and Graphts investigate how we portray race, class and power, as well as how these larger institutional systems shape our identities. They are both deeply personal and universal, allowing viewers many entry points into a reflective experience..."
