David Bowie

Career & style

David Bowie’s recording career stretched from the 1960s to his death in 2016. Space Oddity brought wider attention in 1969, and the Ziggy Stardust period made theatrical presentation inseparable from his public image. Later projects continued to change the musical and visual terms through which audiences encountered him.

His photographs should be read as records of distinct periods, not pieces of a single permanent costume. Compare the body outline, the treatment of hair and the relationship between tailoring and stage gesture. These elements can establish a character before a lyric is heard. At the same time, the performer’s presence should not erase the contribution of costume designers, photographers and other collaborators whose work made those images possible.