The exhibition Let’s Dance Iconic Bowie – with photographs by Terry O’Neill, Markus Klinko, Norman Parkinson, Justin de Villeneuve, Gerald Fearnley – of David Bowie (8 January 1947 – 10 January 2016), is presented for the first time in Portugal, from September 5 to November 4, at ArrábidaShopping (Vila Nova de Gaia) in partnership with Iconic Images, one of the world’s leading photography archive management companies.
The exhibition is composed of 40 photographs and is curated by Cristina Carrillo de Albornoz, international curator, art critic and noted author, and co-curator, musician and photographer David Fonseca.
With photographs by Terry O’Neill, Markus Klinko, Norman Parkinson, Justin de Villeneuve, Milton H. Greene and Gerald Fearnley, the exhibition spans more than 40 years of David Bowie’s career and life, from Gerald Fearnley’s portrait of the young artist for his debut album, to the years as the Thin White Duke, Ziggy Stardust and Diamond Dogs with Terry O’Neill, through to his twenty-second studio album with Markus Klinko’s photographic record in New York in 2002. “The exhibition is not only is an extraordinary tribute to the musician considered one of the genius of the history of the music of the twentieth century, but it portrays poignantly and through the work of 6 top photographers the essence of his life and musical career. A journey of ceaseless experimentation and incredible versatility, Bowie’s endless reinvention, and his breaking boundaries between musical styles” says curator Cristina Carrillo de Albornoz
With all photographers having important careers, Terry O’Neill, Markus Klinko, Norman Parkinson, Justin de Villeneuve, Milton H. Greene, Gerald Fearnly have all created iconic images of the legend.
Norman Parkinson was the one of the most famous fashion photographers of the 20th century. As a pioneer in creating a photographic narrative, unlike the rigidity and formality of its predecessors, Parkinson’s images lept off the pages of fashion magazines and his images have become synonymous with fashion photography becoming fine-art. His photographs created the era of supermodels and made him the favorite of designers, celebrities, artists, as well as the British royal family. His outstanding archive includes some of the most well-know fashion images of the last 100 years along with portraits of Audrey Hepburn, The Beatles, David Bowie, Iman, Jerry Hall and many others over a career spanning more than 70 years until his death in 1990.
Terry O’Neill is one of the most collectible photographers in the world. For more than 60 years he has photographed countless celebrities of music, cinema, fashion and political personalities, from Winston Churchil to Nelson Mandela, Frank Sintra and The Beatles to Rolling Stones to David Bowie and Amy Winhouse or Audrey Hepburn and Brigitte Bardot to Nicole Kidman, passing through all the actors who played the role of James Bond (007), among others. His iconic images are exhibited at museums, art galleries and through private collections world-wide.
Markus Klinko began by photographing concerts and music projects and moved to the fashion industry, developing editorial projects and advertising campaigns for well-known cosmetic brands. Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Kanye West, Naomi Campbell, Iman and David Bowie, among many others, were targets. He is also collaborator of publications like New York Times, Vanity Fair, Harper’s Bazaar, Interview, Vogue and GQ, among others.
Justin de Villeneuve is a photographer, producer and entrepreneur who was a major influence on the fashion and culture in the Swinging 60s. As a photographer Justin photographed many icons of the 60’s and 70’s, including the classic portrait of David Bowie with Twiggy for the album Pin-Ups.
Milton H. Greene made his mark as one of the most celebrated photographers in the world. Greene’s work in the fifties and sixties appeared in Life, Look, Harper’s Bazaar, Town & Country, and Vogue. Greene’s most noted work is with Marilyn Monroe. They first met in 1953 and by the end of their 4 year working relationship, he had photographed her in 50 different sittings producing over 3,000 images.
Gerald Fearnley met David Bowie through his brother, who was a bassist for the young musician’s supporting band. In 1967, Bowie asked Fearnley to take some studio portraits that would go on to be used for his debut album. This exhibition features rare photos of David Bowie when he was 20, images just recently recovered.
Iconic Images, one of the world’s leading photographic archive companies, is pleased to work with Cristina Carrillo de Albornoz, and co-curator David Fonseca on this extraordinary exhibition. Iconic Images works with more than twenty photographers world-wide in all aspects, including fine-art sales, museum exhibitions, licensing, publishing, merchandising and interior design collaborations.
During the two months of the Iconic Bowie exhibition, several moments of parallel programming are planned: a film series with an unreleased debut in Portugal from the documentary “David Bowie: The Last Five Years”, along with other titles to be announced; musical performances with programming by David Fonseca that will bring some invited artists to play songs of David Bowie in minimalist versions and the special book launch of the exhibition photos and merchandising.
According to Paulo Valentim, director of ArrábidaShopping, “In the year that David Bowie celebrated his 71th birthday, we gathered some of his photos, emblematic and some of them unprecedented in Portugal, in an initiative we consider a fair tribute to David Bowie. Concilia, in addition to photography, music and cinema, through the complete schedule that will take place in ArrábidaShopping, during the two months of exhibition, which will certainly be enjoyed by various audiences.”
This show features Iconic Images collection of photographs of David Bowie and is presented for the first time in Portugal.