The exhibition, David Bowie Is... opened to members of the Art Gallery of Ontario today. Suffice to say, it did not disappoint me and sure as heck will not disappoint any David Bowie fan. Straight from its sold out run at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, this show brings together 300 objects from the artist's own personal archive. A complimentary audio device was provided, feeding music and narrative to augment the visual displays.
Starting on the 4th floor of the Gehry designed building, the first room established context, going into detail about the time period of the late 1940s when Bowie was born and his early influences. Interestingly, he was concerned with the depression and suicides that plagued his family and he felt his vocation as an artist, something he loved to do, helped him to avoid those pitfalls. There were a series of dioramas embedded in the wall that didn't provide much information or entertainment. Although, they succeeded in holding up the line of visitors. The second room focused on his breakthrough song, "Space Oddity", the title being a pun on the Stanley Kubrick film 2001: A Space Odyssey.
The real treat for me lay on the 5th floor which had been transformed into a grand spectacle of costumes, projections, music, posters and sketches by Bowie. A flurry of books suspended from the ceiling was a nice touch, a nod to the fact that he was heavily influenced by literature as well. Most striking were the costumes on display, designed by Alexander McQueen and Kansai Yamamoto. The Union Jack suit was surprisingly worn and torn in places. Another highlight had to be paintings created by Bowie of his friend Iggy Pop. These images came about while both lived in Germany while they recovered from drug addiction. A room devoted to music videos entranced audiences as they played many of Bowie's hits. Extensive use of video projection throughout the entire show made this British artist seem bigger than life itself. I highly recommend a visit.
Starting on the 4th floor of the Gehry designed building, the first room established context, going into detail about the time period of the late 1940s when Bowie was born and his early influences. Interestingly, he was concerned with the depression and suicides that plagued his family and he felt his vocation as an artist, something he loved to do, helped him to avoid those pitfalls. There were a series of dioramas embedded in the wall that didn't provide much information or entertainment. Although, they succeeded in holding up the line of visitors. The second room focused on his breakthrough song, "Space Oddity", the title being a pun on the Stanley Kubrick film 2001: A Space Odyssey.
The real treat for me lay on the 5th floor which had been transformed into a grand spectacle of costumes, projections, music, posters and sketches by Bowie. A flurry of books suspended from the ceiling was a nice touch, a nod to the fact that he was heavily influenced by literature as well. Most striking were the costumes on display, designed by Alexander McQueen and Kansai Yamamoto. The Union Jack suit was surprisingly worn and torn in places. Another highlight had to be paintings created by Bowie of his friend Iggy Pop. These images came about while both lived in Germany while they recovered from drug addiction. A room devoted to music videos entranced audiences as they played many of Bowie's hits. Extensive use of video projection throughout the entire show made this British artist seem bigger than life itself. I highly recommend a visit.
No comments:
Post a Comment