In the photo Euchrid's Crib, we see a boyish Nick Cave sitting upright on his narrow bed in West Berlin, circa 1985. His head is an explosion of long, thick black hair, almost obscuring the pen he's clutching in his mouth as he reaches for a book on a nearby shelf. He has a notebook open on his lap, and surrounding his bed in his shoebox room are mountains of books, artwork, scribbled notes and newspapers, with lyrics sticky-taped to the wall alongside photos and locks of hair. Although taken over 20 years ago, the photo captures the true essence of what Nick Cave: The Exhibition seeks to portray - namely, the creative process of one of the greatest Australian artists of the past century.
The exhibition invites visitors to explore the mind of Cave via original photos, as well as lyric sheets, notebooks, artwork, souvenirs, books and videos, and to give us a glimpse of the stories and tales behind his music. And although these products of Cave's psyche may now be tidied, structured and labeled for our viewing pleasure, in a sense their state is reflective of Cave's life and mind now, compared to that of West Berlin in 1985; a life and mind which may have become more ordered and stable, but certainly no less creative, captivating or enigmatic.
The exhibition first took root when curator Janine Barrand travelled to Brighton in 2003 to discuss with Cave the possibility of staging an exhibition based on his creative history. It was to be about Cave 'the artist', rather than a chronological, This Is Your Life type of project.
"To do a show like this involves an incredible amount of trust," Barrand says, when discussing her first few meetings with Cave. "He really got on board when he realised he could choose the songs that he wanted to explain the history of, and that he could imagine that it wouldn't be simply biographical, but that it would be about something which is very important to him, which is his creative endeavour and his role as an artist."
The result is that there is no particular chronological or thematic order to the exhibition. In the centre of the main room lies Cave's 'office', symbolic, says Barrand, of Cave's mind, with all the snapshots of his work existing around it. "Visitors who come should realise that it's a bit chaotic, that there is no real beginning or end. That's because when you work with a contemporary performer, they're still creating their work. It's a living theme, hence this almost labyrinth-like design."
Accompanying many of the exhibits are pink slips of paper or 'voice boxes', where Cave gives brief explanations of the inspiration behind his lyrics or other displays, whether it be his first encounter with his wife, or the story of how he came into the possession of a bright pink handbag with 'Kylie' emblazoned on it. As Barrand points out, this gives the visitor two perspectives - "you've got my version of events, then you've got Nick's version of events alongside it." Additionally, peppered amongst all the exhibits are 50 small framed pictures of things or people, chosen by Cave, which have inspired him. Unlike the other pieces on display, these have no explanation or even labels; a penguin here, Johnny Cash there, Quasimodo to the left, and so on. So while at times the explanation of Cave's work might make you feel like your curiosity and voyeurism into Cave's mentality has almost tainted his appealing mystery - almost as though you've just been told how a magician does his tricks - these unexplained additions ensure we realise that perhaps not every dark corner of his mind has been explored.
But then, of course, these could be red herrings, designed by Cave to throw us off course. While there is always a subtle slash of jet-black humour lurking beneath his lyrics and prose, Barrand explains that in person Cave is more forward with his wit. "He's got an absolutely wonderful sense of humour, and I guess that was a bit surprising when we worked together. When you see him perform, he's in your face and very dominating, but when you work with him he's full of ideas, creative, and always very funny."
With Canberra as the exhibition's final stop, Barrand has also been able to witness the effect it has had on its visitors, whether they be devoted fans of old or people who simply know him as 'that guy that did the song with Kylie'. One of the most intriguing insights presented by the exhibition is that of Cave as a manic list-writer and drafter; as someone whose art is not formed in a brief moment of spontaneous genius, but is edited, honed and revised. "What I found most interesting about the whole experience was that Cave became almost a source of inspiration for people," Barrand explains.
"People would come up to me and say 'wow, I write a notebook like that'. So the exhibition has encouraged other people's creativity as well, and made it possible for them to imagine their own writing."
It's almost impossible not to come away from the exhibition with a different impression of Cave. A man who might have come across as a dark, intimidating character and crazed artist now seems less daunting; a hardworking, organised artist, possibly more normal than you thought before. But then again, it could be that Nick Cave is not more like us than we had previously thought, but that we are all much more like Nick Cave.
Nick Cave: The Exhibition is at the National Library of Australia until November 29.
