The world didn’t just lose one of its greatest creatives recently. The “David Bowie Is” exhibition ended its tour around the world in Brooklyn, New York. This exhibition originally debuted at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London in 2013. It developed into a stunning tribute to Bowie’s remarkable life and oeuvre. It gave both fans and recent converts a deeper look at how his groundbreaking vision revolutionized music, fashion and identity.
The exhibition featured items spanning Bowie’s prolific career, including costumes, photographs, and handwritten lyrics, all of which highlighted his impact on the music industry and popular culture. Visitors to the Brooklyn installation walked through an exhilarating multi-sensory experience. Collectively, this experience served to demonstrate the artist’s growth and evolution while illustrating his trailblazing efforts in pushing gender fluidity in music.
Among Bowie’s many masterpieces was the 1979 song “Boys Keep Swinging.” In the accompanying video, we see Bowie in a dark grey suit performing with three drag queen backup singers. This is a cavalier proclamation that captured the spirit of Bowie’s queer, perplexing, boundary-smashing artistry. He was a major rule breaker, frequently crossing gender lines and societal expectations. The lyrics—”Boys keep swinging, boys always work it out”—resonated with themes of resilience and self-acceptance that continue to inspire many today.
The writer of this piece checking out the “David Bowie Is” exhibition in NYC back in 2018. That experience would soon become transformative, sparking a more profound connection to Bowie’s music and message. The traveling exhibition was always going to highlight Bowie’s period of greatest commercial success in the 1980s. This period was marked by a wave of pop stars who fearlessly pushed the boundaries of gender expression. It was in those years that Bowie fully embodied the spirit of liberation, inspiring others to see what was possible and find their true identities.
Bowie’s Berlin-era style, characterized by a slim silhouette, sharp haircut, angular jaw, and flat chest, left an indelible mark on fashion. The author drew much creative inspiration from this dreamlike aesthetic and wanted to capture the sense of liberation that Bowie personified. His unapologetic fearlessness in playing with gender and expression threw open the doors of possibility for people traversing their own identities.
Whether through his encouraging music or liberating performances, Bowie’s legacy continues to impact anyone and everyone who is trying to find their own way through their journey of self-discovery. His radical approach to and exploration of gender transformed the possibilities for artistic expression. It offered comfort to those who felt like misfits in a repressive society. Many fans recount moments when Bowie’s music helped them understand their own identities better.
The “David Bowie Is” exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum offers an immersive and colorful trove of objects. In that sense, it’s a fitting tribute to an artist who fearlessly challenged the status quo. By living through his different identities—Ziggy Stardust, the Thin White Duke, and others—Bowie led the way for others to follow for years later. His revolutionary spirit still shapes and motivates artists in multiple disciplines, creating a world where realness is celebrated above all, and imitation is left far behind.