Pop idol, emperor of otherness, and patron saint of gender bending, for over fifty years David Bowie brought queerness into the mainstream through his music, performance art, and style. In homage to this otherworldly artist, The Brooklyn Museum presents David Bowie is, a retrospective of Bowie’s life and work featuring over 300 of his costumes, handwritten lyric sheets and drawings, rare photographs, original set models, and never-before-seen performance materials.
Spanning over five decades of Bowie’s career, the museum is pairing this immersive exhibit with a series of glittery, glam, outer-space parties — well, “experimental events.” According to the Brooklyn Museum, the programming includes a “’Night of 1000 Bowies’ dance party at Brooklyn’s House of Yes, an LGBTQ Teen Night, an immersive film series, off-kilter concerts, and more.”
On display from March 2 to July 15, the exhibit is sure to turn even the most apathetic listener into a Bowie superfan. For those who can’t wait for blast off, here’s a sneakpeak inside the Brooklyn Museum’s galactic spaceship as it charts a course for Bowie-ville. Find out more about the exhibit here.
Print after a self-portrait by David Bowie, 1978. Courtesy of The David Bowie Archive. Image © Victoria and Albert Museum
Cut up lyrics for “Blackout” from Heroes, 1977. Courtesy of The David Bowie Archive. Image © Victoria and Albert Museum
Asymmetric knitted bodysuit, 1973. Designed by Kansai Yamamoto for the Aladdin Sane tour. Courtesy of The David Bowie Archive. Image © Victoria and Albert Museum
David Bowie with William Burroughs, February 1974. Photograph by Terry O’Neill with color by David Bowie. Courtesy of The David Bowie Archive. Image © Victoria and Albert Museum
Print after a self-portrait by David Bowie, 1978. Courtesy of The David Bowie Archive. Image © Victoria and Albert Museum
Original photography for the Earthling album cover, 1997. Photograph by Frank W Ockenfels 3. © Frank W Ockenfels 3
Stage set model for the Diamond Dogs tour 1974. Designed by Jules Fisher and Mark Ravitz. Courtesy of The David Bowie Archive. Image © Victoria and Albert Museum
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