English musician David Bowie, best known for songs such as Changes and Space Oddity, has been earning his spurs as an actor and artist on the side. Throughout his career, the Grammy Award-winning singer has designed his own album covers, stage sets and costumes.
Having always stood out for his eclectic sense of work spanning over five decades, all eyes are on him as his art exhibition is set to be showcased at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) in Chicago. Memorabilia ranging from the multi-coloured jumpsuit he wore as his Ziggy Stardust persona to a cocaine spoon will be going on display at the exhibition titled ‘David Bowie Is’, which is scheduled to take place from September 23 till January 4.
Bowie, who has a large fan base across the world, has had no problem attracting audiences to his exhibition. Tens of thousands of tickets have already been sold for the MCA show, the only United States venture for an exhibit that has drawn huge crowds in London, Toronto, Sao Paulo and Berlin. “This exhibition repatriates David Bowie, the musical innovator, into the territory of cutting-edge visual and performing art that is his natural home,” said Michael Darling, MCA chief curator.
The multimedia exhibit was originally organised for London’s Victoria and Albert Museum by curators Victoria Broackes and Geoffrey Marsh. Visitors wear headphones that play clips of Bowie’s interviews and music, which change, depending on what object is being looked at.
Marsh said the show revealed the legendary musician’s “degree of obsession” with the creation of culture. “That’s what we really wanted to bring out — the nature of creativity,” he said. He said people leaving the exhibit feel inspired to create something of their own. “One of the things David always says is ‘Don’t copy me, don’t look at me. Look inside yourself’,” he added.
Darrell Miller, a fan of Bowie, has specifically planned a trip to Chicago from Denver for the show. He said he views Bowie as “outerworldly”. Also gearing up to attend the show is Houston musician Scott Furtwengler, who said he is inspired by the diversity of Bowie’s style. “To see all his work in one place — the costumes, the lyrics, the set designs, his notebooks — that’s pretty amazing,” he said.
Bowie himself hasn’t attended the show, which, according to Marsh, is because he is always going through the process of evolution, and redefining himself and his style, which allows him to not get stuck in the past. “I’m sure he’s working now on what interests him, which is hopefully something we’ll see in the future,” he stated.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 21st, 2014.
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