David Bowie Is : Muso's Guide Goes To The V & A

After registering at the venue and receiving a pair of headphones, the visitor walks out into the world of Bowie. What hits you immediately upon entering the exhibition is the curator’s aim to show David for who he really is: a true artist, and the exhibition is finely tuned to allow visitors privileged access into the creative influences on Bowie and how they sparked his imagination. Without doubt, the chance to see Bowie’s magnificent stage outfits - such as his famous Tokyo bodysuit designed by Kansai Yamamoto - prove a major lure, but there’s much more to savour in this topsy-turvy, hunky-dory world that’s as thrilling as tumbling down the rabbit hole.

The exhibition begins with David’s upbringing in Brixton, on Stanfield Road, at the end of World War Two. Bowie was always interested in curious art and writing, and seems always to have had a taste for the controversial: his favourite book was Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D. H. Lawrence, which he used to read on his way to work in London. Bowie’s love of art is long established: having always liked to draw and paint, he drew the stage sets and artwork for with his first band The Konrads. Following the documentation of his early life and musical career, the viewer is brought to the first real highlight of the exhibit: a letter to his manager stating his change of stage name from Jones to Bowie - marking the start of his musical transformation.

Immersion into Bowie’s first experiences when first established as a musician then follows. Bowie’s early attempts to find an audience (his debut album, unluckily for him, was released the same day as The Beatles' Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely-Hearts Club Band) are brilliantly documented at this stage, with many examples of the early press and promotion of his music. Then, almost out of nowhere, come the first acoustic chords of ‘Space Oddity’, a #5 UK hit in 1969 and winner of an Ivor Novello Award later that year, inspired by the colour picture of the globe as taken from space and printed in The Times. The song would prove one of Bowie’s early big breaks: it was played during the BBC’s footage of the moon landings.

Later stages of the exhibition allow the viewer to listen to clips of Bowie talking about his music and writing while learning about his first famous hit ‘Starman’ through reading original copies of his handwritten lyrics. While a video of the performance plays in the background, the outfit Bowie famously wore on Top of the Pops in 1972 is playfully arranged to point out to you in the crowd, mimicking Bowie’s famous point down the camera lens that brought him so many fans all those years ago. The exhibit is a blossoming success in allowing visitors to  explore everything related to David Bowie’s world: his song creation and lyric writing is examined through video clips of him writing, and those who have unlimited time on their hands have the opportunity to browse through and listen to the full catalogue of his releases. On turning a corner, there are outfits galore, such as his ‘Man Who Sold The World’ outfit, his Union Jack outfit designed by Alexander McQueen, and various stage ensembles such as his Hamlet and White Duke costumes. The highlight of this section is the Ziggy Stardust costume, looming up like a monster from Mars, surrounded by original posters, from a coffin-like box. The journey through Bowie’s world continues as you enter a sound studio lit by huge lights proclaiming ‘David Bowie Is’. Here you can hear clips of the band getting ready to record various albums which are previewed across the wall, alongside their related lyrics and studio sheets. Not just a passive viewer of musical history, it’s in moments like this that visitors to the exhibition feels as though they have been absorbed into these extraordinary moments now immortalised in some of the most-loved music of our times.

The exhibit’s greatest strength comes in its reaffirmation of Bowie’s greatest powers: in embracing his own uniqueness and quirks, he’s encouraged multiple generations to embrace their own individuality. The exhibit takes pains to remind us of this fact, at one point telling us that “unlike some celebrities, David Bowie does not tell people what to do. By publicly forging his own way, he shows us that we are free to be whoever and whatever we want to be”.

The exhibition does at times feel like a maze, and turning the next corner you’re then spirited away into the world of Bowie videos. Visitors can see the iconic blue suit ‘Life on Mars’ modelled to mimic Bowie in the track’s video, while the ‘Ashes to Ashes’ clown outfit is a highlight thanks to being so outlandish and creative. Near each outfit are explanations and drawings created by Bowie, relating to each one and revealing more about their back stories. Bowie’s famous Berlin period is is also documented, and in one part of the exhibit you can walk through a room of memorabilia such as his apartment keys and paintings, and also see the synthesizer, used during his ‘Heroes’ and ‘Black and White’ periods. When Bowie announced the release of his new album the exhibit was already under construction, and luckily for curators Victoria Broakes and Geoffrey Marsh it was possible to include the creepily beautiful double-headed puppet from the ‘Where Are We Now’ video.

Bowie as a cultural icon is a notion explored as you exit the exhibit, surrounded by examples of his influence across the world of music, fashion, art, and even his impact on day-to-day life. His enduring fame and status as a respected artist comes from his ability to draw inspiration from the world around him and, chameleon-like, to adapt and morph with time. Anyone interested in learning more about their personal icon, a man who's had a great influence on music throughout the years, or even who wants to learn more about who the heck this David Bowie chap was and is should get themselves to the V & A sharpish.

Highly recommended.