New York, New York, USA
“The way in which these textiles and fabrics are built, nothing is flat,” states American artist Nick Cave.
“There is a dimension built within them that is visceral. I’ve always built cloth and so I wanted the same sensation to come across in these materials.”
Knoll has announced the launch of a new line of upholstery and wallcovering products with Nick Cave and his creative and life partner, Bob Faust—the company’s first partnership with an artist.
Cave selected 45 works for the KnollTextiles team designer Nina Chidichimo, who shepherded the collection into being and with senior designer Mee Ok Ryu; they ultimately whittled these down to ten ambitious designs that take the artist collaboration trope to a whole new level.
KnollTextiles will offer four upholsteries, three draperies, and three wallcoverings, all with Cave’s “sense of dimension, color, and movement, with each design referencing a specific artwork and dutifully capturing the visceral and tactile essence of the original piece.”
The collection is the most adventurous.
“Guise” mixes knitted, space-dyed twisted yarns with chenille yarns, echoing the intricate top layer of Cave’s beaded Soundsuits with a dynamic, puckered effect.
Inspired by a section of the installation Architectural Forest (2011), “Vert” is a variegated design that distills the perfectly imperfect qualities so often seen in Cave’s work.
Even more flexible is “Puff,’ a cozy faux shearling available in 13 colors based on a rainbow fur Soundsuit.
The final upholstery fabric, “Doily,” uses two upholstery techniques in varying scales on a woven ground to create a multidimensional effect.
Separate from their aesthetic value, the textiles convey a deep and powerful significance in their intention to represent original works that advance social justice.
“It’s all part of being a collective,” the artist states.
“We’re here, we exist. We’re human. For me, [how I stay hopeful is by] striving for something, it’s about being purposeful.”
“We all have to think about accountability and what it means in the larger picture.”
Project: Home Textiles Collection
Designer: Nick Cave
Manufacturer: KnollTextiles
Photographers: Lyndon French
