Items Similar to David Bowie, Aladdin Sane Eyes Open, 1973. Duffy Archive.
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 4
Brian DuffyDavid Bowie, Aladdin Sane Eyes Open, 1973. Duffy Archive.1973
1973
About the Item
David Bowie, Aladdin Eyes Open, 1973 by Brian Duffy.
This photograph was taken during the photo shoot for the album cover for Aladdin Sane, January 1973, London.
This is an exquisite FRAMED* Archival Pigment print.
*Note delivery includes secure art crating & shipping.
Framed in black wood with glass and matt
Stamped by The Duffy Archive, UK.
Supplied with certificate of authenticity.
Gorgeous print measuring 115 x 115 x 3 cm (framed).
The image area is 95 x 95 cm.
Produced utilising the original contact sheet.
We ship regularly using Fedex Express services and ship to all international locations.
About these images :
“It wasn’t until we saw the contact sheets the next day I remember thinking, God this is spectacular. You just knew you had cracked it, boy, did you know it.” Celia Philo
DAVID BOWIE: FIVE SESSIONS
PHOTOGRAPHS BY DUFFY
Brian Duffy photographed David Bowie over five sessions between August 1972 and April 1980, and made the iconic Aladdin Sane album cover image.
January 1973–Session two–Aladdin Sane.
It has been called ‘The Mona Lisa of Pop’. Who could have imagined that the moment he clicked the shutter on the Hasselblad in early 1973 that one of those images would become known as a cultural icon? – Chris Duffy
Some background to the shoot.
The background stories to the Aladdin Sane shoot are told in rich detail in the book Bowie Duffy – Five Sessions. In particular it is a delight to read Duffy’s (a self confessed Marxist anarchist) analysis and compare that with the measured tone of Tony Defries. If you don’t have a copy of the book, here’s a flavour of their respective views – which amount to much the same thing – just expressed in different ways.
First up, Tony Defries: “I was looking for an iconic cover image and artwork that would help me to persuade RCA that Bowie was sufficiently important to warrant megastar treatment and funding in order to propel him to exactly that status. Engaging a master, world-class photographer to shoot the project /brand and to design the artwork was the best way to send that message. Brian had the ability to make the mundane image interesting and the interesting image fascinating.”
Then Duffy: “Tony wanted to make the most expensive cover he could possibly get a record company to pay for, because he realised that if it cost fifty quid, well, so what – but if it cost £5,000 the record company were now having to pay attention. He said “Can you make it expensive?“and I said “No problem old love.” I proposed–
One: A Dye-transfer. A genius method of being able to spend the most amount of money to get a reproduction from a colour transparency onto a piece of paper.
Two: Get the plates made, where? Switzerland.
Then employ me to design it and create it – even better and more wasteful.”
The Aladdin Sane session was a real team effort.
The location was Duffy’s studio at 151a King Henry’s Road in Primrose Hill, London, which had been the setting for the Ziggy Stardust session the previous August. Duffy had agreed with Tony Defries that his design agency, Duffy Design Concepts, which he ran with Celia Philo, would design the sleeve.
Present in Primrose Hill on that January day in 1973 were Duffy, David Bowie, Celia Philo, Tony Defries, French make-up artist Pierre Laroche, and Duffy’s studio manager Francis Newman, who also acted as his assistant that day. Follow-up work on the detailed airbrushing required to create the final artwork was carried out by Philip Castle.
What about that lightning bolt flash and the liquid pool?
The idea for the lightning bolt came from David Bowie. The realisation of that lighting bolt into the form that appeared on the sleeve was down to Duffy. Its source is believed to be a rice cooker that was in Duffy’s studio – and which had a small logo with a red and blue flash.
Francis Newman remembers, “Pierre stared to apply this tiny little flash on his face and when Duffy saw that he said, “No, not like that, like this” and literally drew it right across his face and said to Pierre, “Now, fill that in.””
The red colour was lipstick. Adding the pool of liquid to the collarbone was Duffy’s idea, and this was brilliantly airbrushed in as part of the post-production work by Philip Castle.
David Bowie explained the background to Rolling Stone magazine, that it was a “Lightning bolt. An electric kind of thing. Instead of, like, the flame of a lamp, I thought he would probably be cracked by lightning. Sort of an obvious-type thing, as he was sort of an electric boy. But the teardrop was Brian Duffy’s. He put that on afterward, just popped it in there. I thought it was rather sweet.”
DAVID BOWIE
David Robert Jones (8 January 1947 – 10 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie (/ˈboʊi/ BOH-ee),[2] was an English singer-songwriter and actor. He was a leading figure in the music industry and is considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, acclaimed by critics and musicians, particularly for his innovative work during the 1970s. His career was marked by reinvention and visual presentation, with his music and stagecraft having a significant impact on popular music. During his lifetime, his record sales, estimated at 140 million albums worldwide, made him one of the world's best-selling music artists. In the UK, he was awarded ten platinum album certifications, eleven gold and eight silver, and released eleven number-one albums. In the US, he received five platinum and nine gold certifications. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996.
Born in Brixton, South London, Bowie developed an interest in music as a child, eventually studying art, music and design before embarking on a professional career as a musician in 1963. "Space Oddity" became his first top-five entry on the UK Singles Chart after its release in July 1969. After a period of experimentation, he re-emerged in 1972 during the glam rock era with his flamboyant and androgynous alter ego Ziggy Stardust. The character was spearheaded by the success of his single "Starman" and album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, which won him widespread popularity. In 1975, Bowie's style shifted radically towards a sound he characterised as "plastic soul", initially alienating many of his UK devotees but garnering him his first major US crossover success with the number-one single "Fame" and the album Young Americans. In 1976, Bowie starred in the cult film The Man Who Fell to Earth, directed by Nicolas Roeg, and released Station to Station. The following year, he further confounded musical expectations with the electronic-inflected album Low (1977), the first of three collaborations with Brian Eno that came to be known as the "Berlin Trilogy". "Heroes" (1977) and Lodger (1979) followed; each album reached the UK top five and received lasting critical praise.
After uneven commercial success in the late 1970s, Bowie had UK number ones with the 1980 single "Ashes to Ashes", its parent album Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps), and "Under Pressure", a 1981 collaboration with Queen. He reached his commercial peak in 1983 with Let's Dance; the album's title track topped both UK and US charts. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Bowie continued to experiment with musical styles, including industrial and jungle. He also continued acting; his roles included Major Jack Celliers in Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983), Jareth the Goblin King in Labyrinth (1986), Pontius Pilate in The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), and Nikola Tesla in The Prestige (2006), among other film and television appearances and cameos. He stopped touring after 2004 and his last live performance was at a charity event in 2006. In 2013, Bowie returned from a decade-long recording hiatus with The Next Day. He remained musically active until he died of liver cancer two days after the release of his final album, Blackstar (2016).
keywords :
Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars, icon iconic 1970s 70s fashion glam rock glamrock
- Creator:Brian Duffy (1934-2010, British)
- Creation Year:1973
- Dimensions:Height: 45.28 in (115 cm)Width: 45.28 in (115 cm)Depth: 1.19 in (3 cm)
- More Editions & Sizes:40x40 inches (101 x 101 cm), Unframed Price: $12,000
- Medium:
- Movement & Style:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Gallery Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:Seller: Federica1stDibs: LU38135145652
Brian Duffy
Photographer Brian Duffy had an eight-year working relationship with David Bowie shooting five key sessions over this period, providing the creative concept as well as the photographic image for three album covers. First came the iconic 1973 shoot for the cover of Aladdin Sane, often nicknamed 'the Mona Lisa of pop', when Duffy interpreted Bowie's original title of 'A Lad Insane’ as “Aladdin Sane”. Duffy the went on to shot the cover for 'Lodger' in 1979 and in 1980, the cover for Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps). Duffy's input had a significant influence on the creation of Bowie's chameleon-like public persona and his continual pioneering reinvention.
About the Seller
4.9
Gold Seller
Premium sellers maintaining a 4.3+ rating and 24-hour response times
Established in 2011
1stDibs seller since 2016
671 sales on 1stDibs
Typical response time: 1 hour
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Shipping from: London, United Kingdom
- Return Policy
Authenticity Guarantee
In the unlikely event there’s an issue with an item’s authenticity, contact us within 1 year for a full refund. DetailsMoney-Back Guarantee
If your item is not as described, is damaged in transit, or does not arrive, contact us within 7 days for a full refund. Details24-Hour Cancellation
You have a 24-hour grace period in which to reconsider your purchase, with no questions asked.Vetted Professional Sellers
Our world-class sellers must adhere to strict standards for service and quality, maintaining the integrity of our listings.Price-Match Guarantee
If you find that a seller listed the same item for a lower price elsewhere, we’ll match it.Trusted Global Delivery
Our best-in-class carrier network provides specialized shipping options worldwide, including custom delivery.More From This Seller
View AllSlim Aarons Official Estate Print - Pop And Society - Oversize
By Slim Aarons
Located in London, GB
Pop And Society
Marianne Faithfull, the Honorable Desmond Guinness and Mick Jagger sit on a sofa under a large gilt framed painting of a woman in 18th...
Category
1960s Modern Portrait Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment, Color
Thom Yorke by Kevin Westenberg Signed Limited Edition
By Kevin Westenberg
Located in London, GB
Thom Yorke
by Kevin Westenberg- Signed Limited Edition
Kevin Westenberg is famed for his creation of provocative and electrifying images of world-class mu...
Category
Early 2000s Modern Color Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment, Color
Yayoi Kusama by Kevin Westenberg Signed Limited Edition
By Kevin Westenberg
Located in London, GB
Yayoi Kusama
by Kevin Westenberg- Signed Limited Edition
Kevin Westenberg is famed for his creation of provocative and electrifying images of world-class musicians, artists and movie stars...
Category
2010s Modern Color Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment, Color
Slim Aarons Estate Print - Oberon's Lunch - Oversize
By Slim Aarons
Located in London, GB
Oberon's Lunch
Film star Merle Oberon and lunch guests at her villa, La Consentida, Acapulco. The star is second from the right facing the camera. Circa 1966.
Slim Aarons Archival ...
Category
1960s Modern Portrait Photography
Materials
Color, Archival Pigment
Radiohead by Kevin Westenberg Signed Limited Edition
By Kevin Westenberg
Located in London, GB
Radiohead
Radiohead, Oxford, 2001
by Kevin Westenberg- Signed Limited Edition
Kevin Westenberg is famed for his creation of provocative and electrifying images of world-class musicians, artists and movie stars for over 25 years.
His technique of lighting, colour and composition has helped to produce his own unique visual style.
All prints are signed and numbered by the artist.
Paper size 16x20 inches
Edition size varies according to print size.
Other sizes available (in inches):
Luxe 16x20 (Edition of 25)
Large 20x24 (Edition of 25)
Longe 24x30 (Edition of 25)
Grande XL 30x40 (Edition of 10 (+2 a/p))
Giant 40x60 (Edition of 3 (+1 a/p))
FRAMING:
Please note that this piece is unframed – however, we offer a full framing service.
If you would like this piece framed, please contact us for a quote.
Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, Colin Greenwood, Ed O'Brien, Philip Selway, Nigel Godrich, Stanley Donwood...
Category
Early 2000s Modern Color Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment, Color
PJ Harvey by Kevin Westenberg Signed Limited Edition
By Kevin Westenberg
Located in London, GB
PJ Harvey
by Kevin Westenberg- Signed Limited Edition
Kevin Westenberg is famed for his creation of provocative and electrifying images of world-class musi...
Category
Early 2000s Modern Color Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment, Color
You May Also Like
Jean-Michel Basquiat
By William Coupon
Located in New York, NY
Jean-Michel Basquiat
1987 (printed later)
Archival pigment print
36 x 36 inches
Signed and numbered edition of 40
William Coupon is an American photographer, born in New York City, ...
Category
1980s Modern Portrait Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment
Tom Kelley 'Amanda Chabot Under Hot Lights'
By Tom Kelley
Located in New York, NY
Tom Kelley
Amanda Chabot c. 1960's
C print
28 x 22 inches
Edition of 45
Photographs are printed on Archival Hahnemühle paper (luster)
estate signed and numbered in the border
Capti...
Category
1960s Modern Color Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment
Skiing In Stowe (1962) - Limited Estate Stamped
By Slim Aarons
Located in London, GB
Skiing In Stowe (1962) - Limited Estate Stamped
(Photo By Slim Aarons)
A young woman waiting to go on a ski run in Stowe,
Vermont, USA, 1962.
Additional Information:
Unframed
...
Category
1960s Modern Portrait Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment, Color
Ann Poncho, Albany, NY, 1990
By John Dolan
Located in Hudson, NY
John Dolan’s photographs revel in the extraordinary that lies beneath everyday, fleeting occurrences. And in this eloquent collection of twenty images shot in ravishing color and bla...
Category
Early 2000s Modern Color Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment
Fauna 1 - 5 and 6. Figurative Digital Collage Color Photographs
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Fauna #1 #5 and #6 (Triptych), by Zoltan Gerliczki
From the series "Fauna"
Archival Pigment Print
Overall size: 48 in H x 117 in W.
Individual size:
Image size: 48 in H x 39 in W.
Edition of 9 + 2AP
Unframed
2014
All Prices are quoted as "initial price".
Please observe that prices and availability may change due to currency
“I am presenting women as powerful as any man. Each woman is decorated with the most common and beautiful flowers. Each picture is powerful in color, energetic, and pure in nature, their expression is innocent.” Your images point toward qualities of women that go largely unseen, yet you seek to reveal through beauty and wonder. The colors and shapes perfectly illustrate the idea of “beauty and wonder” in a way that only nature could produce. Your painterly photos...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Color Photography
Materials
Pigment, Color, Archival Pigment
Rocky Horror - Estate limited edition print
By Mick Rock
Located in London, GB
Rocky Horror - signed limited edition print
Little Nell, Patricia Quinn, Tim Curry in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, 1974. (photo Mick Rock)
paper siz...
Category
1970s Modern Portrait Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment
Recently Viewed
View AllMore Ways To Browse
Stone Glass Eyes
Vintage Anarchist Art
Man Cameo
Rolled Gold Plate
Glass Shutters
Shutter Glasses
Vintage Early 2000s Fashion
English Silver Photo Frame
Television Lamps Vintage
Glam Prints
Long Sleeve 2000s
Rice Lamp
Vintage Logo Book
Paper Rice Paper Lighting
Christ The King
Vintage Black Cameo
Spider Lamp Vintage
Jungle Lighting