Michael Clark

26^th March would have been the birthday of Leigh Bowery (who passed away in 1994), genius and legendary Australian performer artist, club promoter, actor, pop star, model, and fashion designer (also for the Michael Clark Dance Company), based in London and was part of London Blitz Kids, New York City Michael Alig’s Club Kids and founder along with Boy George in 1985 of Taboo Club during the times of new-romantic movement. Today I remember him who is considered one of the more influential figures in the 1980s and 1990s London and New York City art and fashion circles, influencing a generation of artists and designers. His influence reached through the fashion, club and art worlds to impact, amongst others, Meadham Kirchhoff, Alexander McQueen, Lucian Freud, Vivienne Westwood, Boy George, Antony and the Johnsons, John Galliano, Gareth Pugh, Rick Owens, the Scissor Sisters, David LaChapelle, Lady Bunny along with many bands and nightclubs in London and New York City which arguably perpetuated his avant-garde ideas featuring the grotesque as non-conventional standard of beauty. Many are the books, documentary films, exhibitions and the permanent collections at Museums that celebrate his sign, that visionary attitude going beyond time and energy I love and pay homage always and forever.

LEIGH BOWERY: SEMPRE & PER SEMPRE

Il 26 marzo sarebbe stato il compleanno di Leigh Bowery (venuto a mancare nel 1994), geniale e leggendario performer artist australiano, club promoter, attore, pop star, modello e fashion designer(anche per la Michael Clark Dance Company) che ha vissuto a Londra ed ha fatto parte dei Blitz Kids di Londra, dei Club Kids di Michael Alig a New York ed ha fondato con Boy George nel 1985 il famoso locale Taboo ai tempi del movimento new-romantic. Oggi ricordo lui che è considerato una delle figure più emblematiche, avendo influenzato una generazione di artisti e designer. La sua influenza é giunta attraverso il mondo della moda, dei locali notturni e dell’ arte per avere impatto, tra gli altri, su Meadham Kirchhoff, Alexander McQueen, Lucian Freud, Vivienne Westwood, Boy George, Antony and the Johnsons, John Galliano, Gareth Pugh, Rick Owens, the Scissor Sisters, David LaChapelle, Lady Bunny unitamente a svariati gruppi e locali notturni a Londra e New York City che presumibilmente hanno perpetrato le sue avveniristiche idee di cui è protagonista il grottesco quale, anticonvenzionale e sovversivo standard di bellezza. Molteplici sono i libri, i documentari, le mostre e le collezioni permanenti nei musei che celebrano il suo segno, quell’ estro visionario oltre il tempo ed energia che amo e a cui rendo omaggio sempre e per sempre.

Leigh Bowery and Lucien Freud working on his portrait

Leigh Bowery by Lucien Freud, 1991, Tate Modern

Boy George and Leigh Bowery at the Taboo

Leigh Bowery & Nicola Bateman/ Rick Owens Spring/Summer 2016

Costume for a female performer designed by Leigh Bowery and made by Mr Pearl for 1987 dance performance, "Because We Must" by Michael Clark Dance Company (Victoria & Albert Museum Collections) — Costume for a female performer designed by Leigh Bowery and made by Mr Pearl for 1987 dance performance, “Because We Must” by Michael Clark Dance Company (Victoria & Albert Museum Collections)

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2vwxk1

It will be held from 19^th October 2012 to 3^rd February 2013 in Vienna at the Kunsthalle “Xtravaganza, staging Leigh Bowery”, exhibition, curated by Angela Stief, paying homage to Leigh Bowery, unforgettable persona, celebrated fashion designer and performer artist who featured in the Eighties new-romantic scene as Blitz Kid in London and later in early Nineties as Club Kid in the New York club scene created by the iconic party promoter Michael Alig. The exhibition will include works by Leigh Bowery and Anthony & the Johnsons, Peter Ashworth, Charles Atlas, Nicola Bateman, Bruce Bernard, Boy George, Michael Clark, Cerith Wyn Evans, Avram Finkelstein, Lucian Freud, Padhi Frieberger, Rudi Gernreich, Alex Gerry, Fergus Greer, Richard Habberley, Dick Jewell, Martin Margiela/Marina Faust, John Maybury, Minty, Nick Knight, Jean-Claude Lagrèze, Catherine Opie/Ron Athey, Werner Pawlok, Mr. Pearl, Raw Sewage, Johnny Rozsa, Sue Tilley, Trojan, Donald Urquhart, Baillie Walsh, John Waters/Divine, Fred Whisker, David Wojnarowicz and U.V.A. celebrating the work of a creative who thought about himself as a canvas and acted under the sign of eccentricity, “doing the opposite” – as he asserted – “of what people expected”, an ethic under the sign of humor and subversion of clichés of conformism. A not to be missed happening to enjoy and re-discover a legend, his work and find again his signs in contemporary times.

“XTRAVAGANZA, STAGING LEIGH BOWERY” AL MUSEO KUNSTHALLE DI VIENNA

lb2 — Leigh Bowery, photo by Nick Knight(1992)

Si terrà dal 19 ottobre 2012 al 3febbraio 2013 a Vienna presso il Kunsthalle “Xtravaganza, staging Leigh Bowery”, mostra, curata da Angela Stief che rende omaggio a Leigh Bowery, indimenticabile personaggio, celebre designer and performer, protagonista negli anni Ottanta della scena new-romantic nelle vesti di Blitz Kid a Londra e successivamente nei primi anni Novanta quale Club Kid nella scena dei locali di New York creata dall’ iconico party-promoter Michael Alig. La mostra includerà opere di Leigh Bowery and Anthony & the Johnsons, Peter Ashworth, Charles Atlas, Nicola Bateman, Bruce Bernard, Boy George, Michael Clark, Cerith Wyn Evans, Avram Finkelstein, Lucian Freud, Padhi Frieberger, Rudi Gernreich, Alex Gerry, Fergus Greer, Richard Habberley, Dick Jewell, Martin Margiela/Marina Faust, John Maybury, Minty, Nick Knight, Jean-Claude Lagrèze, Catherine Opie/Ron Athey, Werner Pawlok, Mr. Pearl, Raw Sewage, Johnny Rozsa, Sue Tilley, Trojan, Donald Urquhart, Baillie Walsh, John Waters/Divine, Fred Whisker, David Wojnarowicz ed U.V.A. che celebrano il lavoro di un creativo che pensava a sé stesso come a una tela ed agiva all’ insegna dell’ eccentricità, “facendo l’ opposto” – come egli affermava – “di ciò che la gente si aspettava”, un’ etica all’ insegna dell’ umorismo e sovversione dei clichés del conformismo. Un evento imperdibile per apprezzare e riscoprire una leggenda, la sua opera e ritrovarne i segni nella contemporaneità.

www.kunsthallewien.at

Tag: Michael Clark

LEIGH BOWERY: ALWAYS & FOREVER

“XTRAVAGANZA, STAGING LEIGH BOWERY” AT THE VIENNA KUNSTHALLE