Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, David Bowie continues to be one of the most recognisable musicians England has ever produced. Although involved in music for a while under his birth name David Robert Jones, it wasn’t until he became David Bowie in 1966 that his individual talents really began to show.
Although recognisable for song such as ‘Space Oddity’, his first top-five entry in 1969, and ‘Starman’, David Bowie was more than a musician in the traditional sense. Bowie was a showman! You only have to look at his experimentation with clothing, other artistic forms, and of course his alter ego Ziggy Stardust to see that Bowie brought a new dimension to popular music.
He expanded the parameters of what music could be and how it could be heard and viewed. His 1972 Top of The Pops appearance is regarded as being one of the most important landmarks in music, with the first materialization of Ziggy Stardust performing singlehandedly causing an explosion in glam worldwide and transforming the idea of live performances.
‘David Bowie Fashion’ by Notsniw Art and ‘David on Orange’ by Dolly Wolfe are just two of the designs which show some of the icon looks David Bowie is known for.
Bowies impact on the music industry means that even to this day he is one of the best-selling artists of all time, with him selling over 100million records worldwide during his lifetime. His music success not only got him inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame but Rolling Stone magazine also placed him among its list of 100 Greatest Artists of All Time, with them also naming him the ‘Greatest Rock Star Ever’ following his death in 2016.
‘He was the Nazz’ by Helen Green and ‘David’ by Wallace Elizabeth are two designs which show David Bowie in all his glory.
However, Bowie made just as much of an impact in his other creative experiments as he did in his music career. He played several leading roles in films, including the cult classic ‘The Man Who Fell to Earth’ which was released in 1976.
The movie was Bowie’s first starring role and still has a strong following due to it being considered one of the most important pieces of science fiction cinema ever created, and one of the director’s, Nicolas Roeg, best films. ‘The Man who Fell to Earth’ by Roboticewe is the perfect design for lovers of the film, with the portrait of Bowie in character being created using the script from the film!
Even when presented with Bowie designs that are playful, we instantly recognise who they are representing without having to look at the name of the design. ‘David Meowie – The 9 Lives of’ gives us a hint of just some of the hairstyles Bowie is famous for having.
However, the one look Bowie will always be remembered for is his universally recognised lightning bolt from the ‘Aladdin Sane’ Album cover. The 1973 cover portrait is one of the most famous images and one that has been replicated by artists for years. In the striking cover David Bowie is seen with his red cropped millet and pale white complexion juxtaposed with a vivid red and blue lightning bold slashed down from his forehead to the right side of his face.
Designs such as ‘Bunny Bowie’ and ‘Cat Bowie’ use his simply motif to change their creatures into symbols for the man himself.
Although David Bowie may no longer be with us, his legacy will be one that lives on forever! His body of work, both musically and beyond, will continue to be a multi-generational influence that pushes living fearlessly with experimentation, innovation and reinvention.
And that’s just some of the reasons why he will continue to be loved at Art Wow and by people all over the world!
