Artist Essay - David Bowie

A man? An idea? A revolution! The reasons for such controversy and admiration over one man has fascinated musicians, philosophers and members of the public alike. When Bowie came into the eye of the public in 1969 the shock of his performance gave the whole idea of Rock and Roll a “much needed blood transfusion”. He was unique, not only in the sense that no one had seen anyone or anything like him before, but in the way he performed. Bowie created characters, not only to attract people to his music, but to create a performance. It is said Bowie “blurred the lines of theatre, film and music”. As David Bowie stated in 1969 “I am an actor. My whole professional life is an act. I slip form one guise to another very easy…and the extreme comments force it to another direction.”

Bowie ‘directly mirrored’ the lives of the ordinary youngsters in the 1970s and was living proof of the ambiguity of the human being. Bowie proved to the world that our changing personalities are in “constant flux” and “constantly being remade, not fixed in stone by age, class or gender.” Through the persona Bowie had created for himself as a “pop star”, and through his music, he offered many young people a sense of freedom that was not provided to them by society or the communities they live in at the time. Therefore the image of Ziggy Stardust, Starman, Aladdin Sane, The Thin White Duke and the Hero, Bowie became the face of so many idols that became God-like figures of the 1970s.

What was the fuel that drove Bowie’s enthusiasm and unique sense of life? This is a question asked by many over the years and through a recent visit to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, I and over 20 000 others discovered the answers. Through the “pleasantly bewildering” exhibition the mind and world of bowie was brought to life through his sketches, costumes and video installations the exhibition showed the world bowies inspiration. Bowie originated from a family with a history of mental disease. Intrigued by the works of philosophers and great physiological novels such as ‘A Clockwork Orange’ by Anthony Brugess, Bowie sought refuge and answers from them and was determined not to end up insane like previous members of his family. From the theories of great philosophers Bowie turned his madness into a musical art form.

The 60s and 70s held many new and exciting discoveries. From the obsession of space travel and Doctor who, to the sexual revolution and gender battles, with new fashions and new trends this period of time was filled with exotic and unique revelations. However, it is thought that David Bowie was the most exciting thing to happen at that time in history. He was the ‘talent from another world’ and the ‘most influential rock star, of his generation. His story is one of learning and evolving with amazing creativity to question the very world around him.