Southbank Centre announces 50th anniversary celebration of David Bowie’s Aladdin Sane album

completemusicupdate.com:

The Southbank Centre in London has announced a celebration of the 50th anniversary of David Bowie’s ‘Aladdin Sane’ album, with talks, performances and a two month exhibition exploring the record’s iconic artwork.“We’re honoured to pay tribute to David Bowie, who made his Southbank Centre debut in 1969”, says the venue’s Artistic Director Mark Ball. “The ‘Aladdin Sane’ album cover portrait is considered to be one of the most influential pop culture images of the past half century, and the music remains fresh and contemporary, so we wanted to recognise this major anniversary and reflect on the album and its artwork’s enduring legacy”.“It’s a work that continues to inspire today’s contemporary artists and the gender fluidity of the images still resonate deeply in queer culture in the UK and across the world”, he adds.The artwork exhibition will run from 6 Apr to 28 May, and has been curated by Chris Duffy, son of the photographer who took the distinctive lightning flash portrait, Brian Duffy.

It will explore the music scene of the time, and the relationship between Bowie and Duffy that led to the January 1973 photoshoot.“My father’s image of Bowie is often called the Mona Lisa of pop”, says Duffy. “It’s important to remember it was the result of a short studio shoot using film, which then had to be sent out for commercial processing.

There were no instant digital images or Photoshop then. It’s extraordinary how it’s lasted and been endlessly reworked. Wherever I go in the world, it’s always somewhere on a t-shirt”.Alongside the exhibition, Duffy will also publish a book on 30 Mar called ‘Aladdin Sane 50: The Definitive Celebration Of Bowie’s Most Iconic Album And Music’s Most Famous Photograph’.