Photo: WENN.com
As a musician who has been perhaps more influential than any other in contemporary music, the prospect of putting together a complete Bowie retrospective must have been a daunting one.
'David Bowie Is' finds its strengths in being as much an educational and explanatory experience as it is a chance to revel in Bowie fandom. It's important to realise that this isn't an exhibition about Bowie's music - if you want that experience you're better off listening to his huge back catalogue.
David Bowie Is is an exhibition about the man's relation to, and influence on, the cultural zeitgeist of the last half century, and explaining how the various faces of David Bowie fit together.
Entering to the sight of the wacky Aladdin Sane bodysuit that's become so recognisable, you're briefly taken through Bowie's origins - born in Brixton, employed at an ad agency, child of a family beset by suicides. However swift this introduction might be, it serves a valuable purpose of grounding Bowie the legend in David Robert Jones the man.
A glimpse at the transition for David Jones to David Bowie
The lion's share of the exhibition focuses on Bowie's artistic outlets, mainly his costume designs. Following the trail of inspiration that led to the Saturday Night Live 'Man Who Sold The World' costume (so stiff that his backing singers had to carry him into place behind his mic) is fascinating, as is gazing at his doodles on far eastern art, his explanation of lyric-writing tool the Verbasizer and hints at his literary fascinations.
Strolling through the exhibition it becomes explicitly clear just how dependant today's crop of pop divas are on what Bowie did 15, 20 or even 30 years ago.
But in Bowie's case his interest wasn’t so much in shocking or contrasting with the cultural norm as it was a genuine interest in collating a vast spectrum of artistic influences into a single (sort of) character.
"It has to be three dimensional," reads one quote from the man himself. "I'm not content just writing songs."
Bowie gig footage projected onto Bowie costumes
The second half of the exhibition is more visually spectacular than the first. Towering cloth screens, projected with footage of Bowie's iconic performances, surrounded by his costumes, have a huge impact.
For obsessive Bowie fans, there's probably not much here that'll be new. But it is genuinely interesting to see the musician's role in cultural development documented so thoroughly.
For people with little more than a passing interest in the man, it'll give you a thirst for more. And it'll leave a lasting impression of how important Bowie was, is and will continue to be.
Below: check out more images from the exhibition below
