About this photograph
Taken by Duffy during the last of the Five Sessions with David Bowie in 1980 in a costume designed by Natasha Korniloff. Bowie asked Korniloff to make him ‘The most beautiful clown in the circus.’ She described David as ‘Always a lot of fun to work with.’ David's New Romantic/Commedia dell'arte variant outfit was a throwback to his earliest costume experience, starring in Lindsay Kemp's Pierrot In Turquoise - a costume also designed by the late Natasha Kornilof.
By 1980 Duffy was winding down his photographic career. His studio was no longer filled with cameras, lights and famous faces of the era. It was replaced with tools for his new venture - antique furniture restoration. Without a studio or assistant, Duffy turned to his son Chris for a venue to shoot David Bowie, the only person who could persuade him to get back behind the lens. Bowie began to pose as the perfect pierrot, throughout the session distressing his look until he was reduced to a disheveled, smeared, smoking clown. Much like the Lodger shoot little over a year before, Bowie had employed Duffy as the photographer in collaboration with a graphic artist, a position filled this time by Edward Bell who Duffy had previously introduced to Bowie. After the shoot, Duffy took his chosen image to Edward Bell to add his graphic contribution. Fully expecting Edward Bell to paint directly onto his print, Duffy's image was almost completely obscured by Bell's painting. Although David loved the cover, Duffy was deeply hurt that his photograph had been despoiled by Bell.
Print sizes, editions and mediums
20" x 20" Paper size, 15" x 15" Image size - Edition of 16 - Archival pigment print
22" x 22" Paper size, 18" x 18" Image size - Edition of 18 - Silver gelatin print
Print type
Archival pigment print or silver gelatin print depending on size
Paper type
Fuji Baryte paper
Signature
Hand signed in ink by photographer
About the photographer
Brian Duffy (1933-2010) was a pioneering British photographer renowned for his work during the "Swinging Sixties" in London. Alongside David Bailey and Terence Donovan, he helped redefine fashion and music photography with his avant-garde style and innovative use of the 35mm camera. Duffy's collaboration with David Bowie spanned five key sessions, including the Aladdin Sane album cover, which cemented his legacy as a visionary. His work remains highly collectible, influencing both fashion and music photography.
Photo Duffy © Duffy Archive. All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced without permission.