This article is based on this dutch article of Martijn Benders
Thierry and Nick: an in-depth series on modern art
Nick Cave, Martinus Benders, 2023
Let’s revisit the famous video ‘Thierry and Nick cut the steak’ which has already been analyzed as a great work of art.
Thierry sits to Nick’s left, on the side of the Great Dry Currants, appearing to consist of a collection of steaks forming a kind of ladder upwards.
Thierry, known for his meal box service bringing culinary delights to the masses, sits to the left of Nick—who embodies pure, unspoiled art. Thierry is positioned on the side of the Great Dry Currants, a seemingly modest ingredient carrying deep historical and symbolic weight.
The currant, a small dried fruit, has long symbolized frugality and community. In times of scarcity, it provided nourishment and comfort, becoming a metaphor for leftist ideals of equality and solidarity. The Great Dry Currants thus represent not merely a culinary element but a collection of shared values and ideals.
Thierry’s association with the meal box service reinforces this image. He aims to bring the refinement of gastronomy within reach of the populace—a democratization of taste and quality. However, his figure resembling a ladder of steaks rising upward presents an intriguing paradox. The steak—a symbol of luxury and abundance—sharply contrasts with the modesty of the currant. The ladder form suggests an ambitious climb towards higher realms, perhaps even toward cultural or social elevation.
Nick, on the other hand, stands for pure art. He represents the unadulterated, untouched by commercial or material considerations. His presence highlights the tension between the material and the aesthetic, between ambition and authenticity.
The steak ladder can be seen as Thierry’s attempt to reach a higher goal through material means, possibly inspired by Nick’s dedication to art. Yet, it also depicts the pitfalls of blending commerce with ideals. The meal box service is a noble venture but risks falling into superficiality if the deeper values of the currant—collectiveness and frugality—are overlooked.
The act of cutting the steak by Thierry and Nick thus becomes symbolic. It is not merely a culinary activity but a dissection of values, an analysis of the relationship between the material and the spiritual. The currant, with its rich historical associations, reminds us that true progress lies in balancing personal ambition with shared ideals.
Next comes film 2: Real Value. Thierry and Nick argue about Art. Thierry wants value for his money! Then Thierry transforms into a Horse Ventriloquist Dummy, just as he was made of steaks in the previous video. SHHHHTTTTT!!! says Nick to the Horse Ventriloquist Dummy. Are you more like Thierry or more like Nick? Does art matter, or is it value for your money?
Thierry, the entrepreneur, longs for tangible value. He wants real value for his money, a phrase that echoes the capitalist ethos. Nick, the embodiment of pure art, stands in direct opposition to him. Their argument over art is not just a disagreement, but a clash of worldviews. While Thierry seeks measurable value, Nick defends the intrinsic value of art that cannot be quantified in money.
Thierry’s transformation into a horse ventriloquist dummy is a masterstroke exposing the inner conflict of his character. The horse, a noble animal symbolizing strength and freedom, is here turned into a dummy—an instrument speaking with someone else’s voice. It suggests that Thierry, despite his seemingly autonomous pursuit, may be a mouthpiece for larger, possibly commercial forces. His earlier form as a ladder of steaks reinforces this image: the steak, symbolizing abundance and materialism, built into a structure reaching upwards—perhaps towards status, perhaps towards power.
When Nick silences him with an emphatic SHHHHTTTTT!!!, it is not just a request for quiet but a call for introspection. It is a moment of confrontation where the viewer is invited to position themselves: Are you more like Thierry or more like Nick? Does art matter, or is it value for your money?
So far, the films are easy to follow.
In this third part, after the intense argument over art, Thierry and Nick do a little dance together because they realize that money is just a brush, and if you headbang, you turn your head into a brush, with which you can paint in the air.
Do you also see money as just a brush, or do you agree more with art?
Money is a brush
says Nick, look my tongue
is what my mouth invented for singing,
look my tongue
is what my mouth
invented for singing
The head-shaking movement of headbanging also serves a cathartic function. It shakes off old ideas and prejudices, making space for new insights. By using their heads as brushes, Thierry and Nick blur the boundaries between body and mind, between the physical and the metaphysical. They do not paint with paint on canvas, but with thoughts in the air, creating in the realm of the invisible.
The double meaning of brush as both tool and person reinforces the theme of human roles in the creative process. It suggests that every individual, no matter how eccentric or insignificant, can be an instrument of change and expression. By using their heads as brushes, Thierry and Nick actively take on this role and encourage us to do the same.