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That sounds most definitely like the work of African American performance artist/sculptor Nick Cave. They're called "Soundsuits," and although I'm not familiar with the particular ones you describe, you can find a list of exhibitions on the artist's website, http://www.soundsuitshop.com/
Is that it?
Your suggestion is the closest thing I have ever seen to what I am describing!! Wow! Unfortunately I'm not sure if it's his work - his soundsuits seem to have particular common color patterns, themes, and materials used which do not line up at all with what I remember. Looking on his website, he hasn't had exhibitions anywhere that I would have been in the corresponding years, either. Thanks so much though, I'll keep looking at his work and maybe the ones I saw were early versions or something!
There's an artist called Brian Bress who makes costumes similar to what you're describing.
I don't think it's him either. Google isn't bringing up anything even close. Ugh, these damn things are so elusive!
A-wop-ba-ba-loo-bop, a -wop-bam-bump
This is actually about some works of art that I saw at a museum at one point. I am guessing it was between six and ten years ago. I believe the museum was the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore, but I am not positive since my family travels a lot and we have visited a lot of museums. The four works in question looked like statues that were about eight feet tall but apparently could be worn as costumes. My mother read a nearby plaque and said that the artist liked to wear the costumes around his home. I can really only remember three of the four costumes. One of them was a monster made of Chupa Chup lollipops, or at least prominently featuring Chupa Chups. I think it was a dark purple or maroon color. That one was the least human - it had a premade face on the body and didn't look like you could see the wearer. Another of the costumes looked like a Mardi Gras jester. It was green, gold, and purple. The weird thing about this one, though, was that strapped to the feet were two small cages, and inside the cages were two grey and black stuffed toy rabbits with red eyes and possibly bloody mouths. Those rabbits really creeped me out since they didn't go with the tone of the rest of the costume. My memory of the third costume is not as distinct, but it seemed to be Greek goddess themed. I remember it might have had an alabaster statue head attached (the jester costume was on a wire mannequin so it looked like a person but did not have a head or face). I think the goddess costume had a blue scarf on it, and maybe some plastic leaves on a vine. I keep thinking of a cloud pattern when I try to remember this costume. I know there was a fourth, but I just cannot remember it. I know this is a long shot, but does anyone have any idea of what artist or pieces I could be referring to? During a recent conversation, I had to convince my family that these costumes/statues had even existed, and the only one who even slightly remembers them is my mom - albeit very vaguely.