Tuesday, April 02, 2024

"There's a lack of mercy, a lack of forgiveness"

Nick Cave has attracted a fair amount of flak as a result of the growing suspicions about his political leanings, so fair play to the Guardian's Simon Hattenstone for asking straight out whether he's a Tory and whether he really does despise woke culture. Cave flatly denies the former charge, and offers a thoughtfully nuanced response to the latter.

The interview revolves around Cave's recent endeavours as a ceramicist - he's created a series of pieces called The Devil - A Life, which is due to go on display shortly - but inevitably touches on other, broader topics, such as grief, parent-child relationships and the joy "that leaps unexpectedly and shockingly out of an understanding of loss and suffering".

Cave's comments on art and its cathartic powers are particularly worth savouring: "Making art is in itself the great expression of joy and optimism, in my view. That's why we need it. Music, art, reminds us of our fundamental capacity to create beautiful things out of the fuckeries of life."

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