“Meet Me at the Center of the Earth,” an exhibition at the Seattle Art Museum, introduced the city to the fabulously bizarre costume art of Nick Cave, a darling of the contemporary art scene. These costumes, known as “Soundsuits,” effectively bridge cultures: they might be described as a cross between Carnival, Liberace, Shonibare, Cockney, haute couture and African ceremony. Cave manages to make sculptures that combine high fashion, surface design, recycling, dance and sound. His resourcefulness transforms the viewer’s perception of secondhand and vintage materials while heightening the tension between the ordinary and the imaginary.

Read the full case study with juror comments here: [http://www.aiga.org/justified-2012--case-study--nick-cave/]