'Earthly Messenger' the David Bowie bronze statue in Aylesbury's Market Square. Image: David Stopps / Kickstarter
A David Bowie statue was recently unveiled in Aylesbury, England, which is the place where Bowie debuted his musical alter ego, Ziggy Stardust. The Buckinghamshire town’s Market Square is now home to what is considered the first statue of the Starman, who passed away in January 2016 of cancer, but not before leaving fans a parting gift of one final album, Blackstar.
Now fans can also pay homage to the iconic and beloved singer and performer by making a pilgrimage to this bronze statue. The statue, which was crowdfunded on Kickstarter, features numerous stage incarnations throughout The Thin White Duke’s career. It features Ziggy at the centre and a besuited 80s Bowie standing, grinning, next to that and then various personas behind these.
David Bowie applying Ziggy Stardust makeup in Scotland, 1973. © Mick Rock
Speaking about the design of the piece, its designer Andrew Sinclair told the NME, “Design is an interesting thing and it tends to come up as a thought bubble after you’ve been thinking about it for quite a while. This is inspired by the fact that he was such a Mercurial character. He created and recreated himself so many times. Fans during those periods related to those particular characters. My responsibility was to create something that appealed to as many of his fans as possible. Rather than just going with Ziggy, which was his connection to Aylesbury, it seemed the ideal opportunity to create another 15 portraits of him that encompass his career. The design came from that prerogative.”
David Bowie performing as the legendary Ziggy Stardust at Newcastle City Hall, June 1973. © Ian Dickson
The sculpture is titled Earthly Messenger and speakers above the artwork pump out Bowie hits on the hour every hour. Aylesbury, as well as being home to the venue Friars where Ziggy Stardust made his first performance, also debuted two of the Ziggy's albums too.
Along with the statue, David Stopps, who ran the crowdfunding campaign, also petitioned to get the town’s name changed from Aylesbury to Aylesbowie. “In recognition of Bowie's strong connection with Aylesbury". Stopps said, according to the BBC. "Since records began there have been 57 variations of the town's name." he noted. But it looks like this hasn’t been as successful as the statue.
David Bowie posing for the camera in between filming at a Japanese restaurant in Los Angeles, 1975 © Geoff MacCormack
Since its unveiling it seems not everyone is happy with the David Bowie statue, as it was vandalised not long after the unveiling on the 25 March. Someone had sprayed graffiti on it stating, “feed the homeless first, RIP DB”.
Sinclair noted to the NME about the vandalism. “I was pretty upset. I just hate wanton destruction. This whole project was put together by the fans and for the fans – and for Bowie’s family and memory. There’s a lot of love and a lot of intent, and a huge amount of hard work.”
In other Bowie news, a film version of David Bowie’s musical Lazarus (which he wrote with Enda Walsh in the months prior to his death) will be getting a special premiere on 2 May at the Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, New York. The film premiere will be accompanied by a live band playing Bowie’s music which features in the work, and hopefully it will preclude a worldwide theatrical release of the film.
See below for a video about the bronze Bowie statue.
Rockarchive is delighted to be able to offer many iconic David Bowie images as limited edition photographic prints which you can buy here.
David Bowie was a leading figure in popular music for over five decades & regarded by critics & musicians as a true innovator.
This print is based on a photograph from the Hunky Dory photo session shot in 1971.
David Bowie wearing a black scarf on a photo shoot by Mick Rock in New York in 2002
Aladdin Sane is the one image that has defined David Bowie and is nicknamed the 'Mona Lisa of Pop' - Shot by Duffy in his London studio.
Taken from the Scary Monsters album cover shoot by Duffy in 1980, 'the most beautiful clown in the circus' - David Bowie
Alternative shot taken from the Aladdin Sane 'photo shoot in 1973, known as 'Eyes Open' - this image was rediscovered in the archive in 2011
David Bowie wearing a two piece quilted suit designed by Freddie Burretti for the 1972 Ziggy Stardust tour.
Terry Pastor shot & hand coloured the photo for the album artwork on David Bowie's iconic album.
Terry Pastor photographed & hand coloured the album artwork for Bowie's Spiders from Mars album.
Terry Pastor's photograph of David Bowie from the 'Hunky Dory' album cover photo session.
Photographer Terry Pastor's 'pink' variation of Bowie from the Hunky Dory album cover photo session.
Photographer Terry Pastor shot & hand coloured the photo artwork for Bowie's Hunky Dory album.
This hand coloured print is based on a photograph by Terry Pastor from the Hunky Dory photo session.
in 1997 prior to his first ever gig in Mexico City David Bowie explores the local cultural sites including the 'Pyramids of Teotihuacan'
Taken at Freida Kahlo’s Museum known as the ‘Blue House’, in Mexico City a few days before David Bowie's first ever concert in Mexico, 1997
David Bowie onstage at his first and only ever concert in Mexico in July 1997
This was a really special performance in October 1973 as it was Bowie's first since announcing his retirement a couple of months before.
David Bowie at press conference for his single 'Lets Dance' at the Savoy Hotel in London. It was the fifteenth studio album by Bowie.
Iconic Mick Rock photograph of David Bowie during the 'Saxophone' Session in London 1973
David Bowie and Mick Ronson eating lunch on a train to Aberdeen in 1973 heading to the first gig of David Bowie's final Ziggy Stardust Tour
David Bowie captured by Mick Rock whilst applying make-up in Scotland in 1973
David Bowie looking into a mirror at Haddon Hall, Beckenham in March 1972 during an interview for Club International magazine.
David Bowie, Lou Reed & Iggy Pop during a press conference at the Dorchester Hotel, London in July 1972
David Bowie photographed by Mick Rock at Haddon Hall Beckenham in March 1972,
Contact sheet of David Bowie images taken during an interview in London, 1972. One of the images was used on the cover of Melody Maker
Newcastle City Hall, 1973, Ian Dickson eludes security to take this photograph of David Bowie performing as the legendary Ziggy Stardust
David Bowie performing at Newcastle City Hall, UK on the Ziggy Stardust Tour in June 1973
David Bowie performing to an audience of twenty at the Beckenham Arts Lab, UK at the start of his career in 1969
Performing as part of The Hype, David Bowie onstage at the Roundhouse in July 1970
Although originally taken in black and white, this image has the feel of an early 1940s movie star, hence the sepia finish I settled upon.
We drank cheap Riesling and beer (Peeva) with a bunch of soldiers we'd met the night before. They were friendly and inquisitive.
I took advantage of the free time and the sublime New Mexico light and picked up my Nikon. This image of David is one of my favourites.
David Bowie in Ziggy makeup in 1973. This shot was taken at the Hammersmith Odeon before the last show of the tour.
David Bowie photographed whilst filming the 1976 sci-fi film The Man Who Fell To Earth.
David Bowie photographed looking out over the May Day Parade on Red Square, Moscow, 1973
David Bowie and photographer Geoff MacCormack backstage on the set of The Man Who Fell to earth.
He's playing up to my camera to keep himself amused in-between takes. It's as if he is saying: "And you are?"
David Bowie listening to a playback of 'Station to Station’ at Cherokee Studio, Los Angeles.
David chose this image from The Man Who Fell To Earth (1975) for publicity posters in the late seventies.
This was the site of the detonation of the first atomic bomb in 1945, an eerie and desolate place.
David Bowie performing live at Wembley Arena, London on the A Reality Tour in November 2003
David Bowie at home, smoking in bed in his apartment on Foxgrove Road, Beckenham in July 1969, the morning after the first moon landing.
Limited edition print of Morgan Howell's original painting of the cover of David Bowie's 'Rebel Rebel' vinyl single
David Bowie photographed with a mask at Frida Kahlo's house and museum in Mexico City in October 1997
David Bowie in front of a Diego Rivera mural whilst visiting the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City in October 1997
Official Duffy photograph of David Bowie sitting with a Scottie Dog during a pre-production meeting for the Scary Monsters photo shoot
Contact sheet from the Scary Monsters photo shoot taken during the last of Duffy's 'Five Sessions' with David Bowie
David Bowie performing onstage at the Falkoner Centre, Copenhagen, Denmark in April 1976 on his Isolar-1976 Tour.
David Bowie on the video shoot for 'Loving the Alien' at Meantime Studios, London in March 1985.
David Bowie at his flat in Beckenham in 1969. This photograph was used as the cover to 'Lover To The Dawn', a 10-song acoustic demo tape.
The Thin White Duke onstage during his Isolar-1976 Tour in Copenhagen in 1976
In 1990 David Bowie poses at a photocall for his 'Sound & Vision' Tour at the Rainbow Theatre not Heddon Street as the K.West sign suggests
The Aladdin Sane image was digitally remastered to a black and white negative format by Chris Duffy in 2012
Music photographer Mick Rock may be best known as 'The Man Who Shot the Seventies', instrumental in creating many key rock ’n’ roll images.
Discovering how much fun and money there was in rock 'n roll, Ian Dickson hitched a lift to London on Roxy Music's tour bus in early 1973.
During the years 1973-1976 writer/producer Geoff MacCormack toured with David Bowie on the Aladdin Sane and Ziggy Stardust tour.
We are all still reeling from the tragic loss of David Bowie. Here is a wonderful tribute from one of our photographers, Mark Mawston.
David Bowie was recently honoured with three new blue plaques that went up in went up in Maidstone, Hull, and Trident Studios in Soho.
Our acclaimed 'Silhouettes & Shadows: David Bowie Remembered' Exhibition is now on at the Lucy Bell Gallery, Hastings
