In his striking collection of original art, Louis Sidoli marries sketching, printmaking, metallurgy, engineering, carpentry & neon glass in a homage to the late David Bowie.
B Y LOU I S S I DOL I
FOREWORD:
It is often remarked that tremendously influential figures only reach true prominence posthumously; this, however, is happily not the case for David Bowie. His ageless, endlessly creative persona was responsible for a seismic shift in popular culture that inspired generations during his career, and it’s this legacy that will ensure his star burns brightly for many years, and indeed generations, to come.
was, and is, a major source of his appeal. Moreover, he was all things to all people; whether your passion lies in art, music, film, fashion or social commentary, the sheer theatre and zest with which Bowie approached all of his projects won hearts and minds aplenty. Followers became fans, fans became friends, and friends became family. He was decorated in so many ways throughout his career, and won accolades so varied, from a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, to being awarded Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters by French culture minister Catherine Trautmann, to being mentioned in the Only Fools and Horses soundtrack, his industry recognition was befittingly diverse. It is with great symbolism and insight that celebrated British artist, Louis Sidoli, has chosen to craft a visual tribute to Bowie using the chemical element neon as his medium. Derived from the Greek word, νέον , meaning new – neon seems wholly appropriate for a man who invented genres, broke down barriers and created new audio visual landscapes enjoyed by his fans and contemporaries alike. Poignantly, whilst neon is ‘cosmically abundant’ it is extremely rare on Earth; a beautiful comparison to draw with the man who seemingly landed on Earth and, fortunately for us, liked it enough to stay a while. “I always had a repulsive need to be something more than human.” (David Bowie, interview in Rolling Stone, February 1976)
“I’m an instant star. Just add water and stir.” (David Bowie, Valentines & Vitriol, Rex Reed 1978)
Immortalised here through Sidoli’s marriage of sketching, printmaking, metallurgy, engineering, carpentry & neon glass, Bowie lives still through art. A keen artist and collector himself, Bowie took a certain pleasure from his only academic qualification being his O-Level in Art. He could often be found sketching, painting, drawing with charcoal and sculpting; yet one more channel through which his ingenuity flowed. In 2007, he established, and curated, the High Line festival – a new annual series of music, film, comedy and art events in New York. From curator to subject, he was later, in 2013, the focus of an extremely well-attended exhibition in 2013 at the Victoria and Albert Museum that documented his career through a carefully curated display of items, from stage equipment, to costumes to his own sketches, from the Bowie organisation’s own archive.
Bowie’s chameleon-like propensity to evolve and adapt
Oh! You Pretty Thing - 1971 100 x 100cm | Edition size 1 of 3
1971 - Oh! You Pretty Thing: “This piece is based on the cover for the 1971 album “Hunky Dory”. The track ‘Andy Warhol’ on that album first ignited my curiosity and love of the pop art movement from an early age. It’s fair to say that without this album, I might not have become an artist. The image of the album cover was influenced by a photo of Marlene Dietrich that Bowie took to the photo shoot.” - Louis Sidoli
Star - 1972 100 x 100cm | Edition 1 of 3 120 x 120cm | Edition 1 of 1
1973 - Sex Symbol: "With both the male & female sex symbols represented in neon, this piece reflects his
androgynous image. The lyrics from ‘Rebel Rebel’ featured on the artwork are Bowie’s actual handwriting." - Louis Sidoli
Sex Symbol - 1973 100 x 100cm | Edition 1 of 3
Year Of The Diamond Dogs - 1974 100 x 100cm | Edition 1 of 3
Fame - 1975 100 x 100cm | Edition 1 of 3
1976 - The Visitor: “Based on Bowie’s appearance in ‘The Man Who Fell to Earth’, the background is a star map representing the extra-terrestrial origins of Thomas Jerome Newton in the film. I didn’t realise until I finished the piece that the constellation of ‘Chameleon’ is prominent on his face, which is very appropriate because of the well-known media cliché that Bowie was himself a chameleon.” - Louis Sidoli
The Visitor - 1976 100 x 100cm | Edition 1 of 3
Berlin - 1977 120 x 120cm | Edition 1 of 3
Glamour 1980 100 x 100cm | Edition 1 of 3
RCA - Most Wanted Series 100 x 100cm | Edition 1 of 3
Time Takes a Cigarette 153 x 102 cm | Edition 1 of 5
Flaming Star 100 x 100cm | Edition 1 of 3
The images contained within this literature are an artistic representation of the collection. To best experience our art, we recommend you contact your local gallery to arrange a viewing. © Washington Green 2016. The content of this brochure is subject to copyright and no part can be reproduced without prior permission.
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