On a brisk winter day in Chicago last month, mammoths seemed to return for a fleeting afternoon. The ancient leviathans lumbered along the lakefront, the city skyline behind them. But visible through their skeletons, made of metal and hair, were puffer coats and scarves. Performers hoisted the animal-like sculptures on their shoulders, walking slowly in unison as the heads gently swung from side to side, impressive white tusks curving ahead.
The beasts are the work of the Chicago-based artist Nick Cave, who, over the course of his career, has transformed troves of goods from thrift shops and craft stores into otherworldly humanoid figures, as well as other intricate sculptures bursting with color, texture and life.
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