I got the call to shoot Bowie in July ’95. Word was that he was down-to-earth and, true to form, he entered the studio hand outstretched. In his wake was his musical collaborator Brian Eno. Both were in high spirits and immersed in each other’s company. ‘The Session’, as the shoot came to be known, was a brief affair. Post hair and make-up, I was left with 40 minutes of my allocated hour to shoot both personalities. My aim was to create individual images that, when laid out on the page, would connect visually: ‘see no evil’, ‘hear no evil’ and ‘speak no evil’ became redacted to simply ‘shush’ and ‘oi’.
The ‘shushing’ image has gone on to be one of the most recognised portraits of Bowie. As well as being the official emblem of his musical Lazarus, it was chosen by the Recording Academy to publicise their 2017 Grammy awards ceremony. Sotheby’s used it to illustrate their prestigious Bowie auction catalogues. The shots have been reproduced within and on the covers of countless magazines, including Rolling Stone, Esquire and Paris Match. Biographies and periodicals worldwide have since adorned their covers with the images. Original prints and lenticulars have been sought by international galleries and collectors.
In 2011 I received a request from David for a print to hang in his office in Manhattan. It turned out that one of the images from ‘The Session’ was Bowie’s favourite portrait – a remarkable accolade. To my astonishment, the image he chose was my also favourite portrait from the shoot and the least likely shot, or so I thought, that would resonate with him. The portrait was uncompromising; his guard was down, the mask was off, the personality revealed. This was the image of a man looking back from the void, lost and vulnerable. In 2012, David requested that the same portrait be on the cover of the V&A’s David Bowie Is publication and the last page with the epitaph ‘Bowie Is – The End.’
On leaving the studio, David saw a drinks tray, grabbed it and put it behind his head to create an instant halo. I grabbed the opportunity, a stand was pushed up the back of his shirt and the tray taped behind his head. I watched as he transformed into St. Peter at the Gates of Heaven – Heaven the nightclub. He screamed and whistled at the imaginary club goers but no one was getting passed him.
Iconic portraits of Bowie were unavoidable, he was the master of the lens. I have photographed many celebrities but Bowie is the only star who has attained the status of deity on his all too premature demise.
Bowie Is unequivocally a cultural icon.