The posts have been a touch scarce here in the arts section of LIB! So much street art, so many openings and premieres, so many walls with space in need for moments captured in time, and oh! OH! The immeasurable collections of culture, music, food & drink! So much to do, how do we find the time to do any of it?! Especially since summer days are for laying on the beach, standing in line for brunch with the same friends you went dancing with hours before, and spontaneous roadtrips! Hiking, biking, camping, climbing, paddleboarding, napping, sipping, snacking… you get it! We’re living it!
This summer has been a blast! A high school friend came thru the city and when I asked what he wanted to do, suggested seeing the David Bowie Is exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum. No surprise a few days before ending, the exhibit was sold out and we wouldn’t be able to attend unless one of us was a member. I must take a moment, however, to attest becoming a member was the best impulse buy I’ve had probably ever. The exhibit blew my mind. I am fairly certain anybody walking in there questioning their journeys or at a crossroad in life left having so many possible trajectories for the next stages! It was a spiritual awakening, that AH-HA! moment in the shower, when the answers (or questions) you sought out strike without warning.
No photography was allowed in this intimate exhibit, sadly there’s nothing to show you, but it was crazy colorful, a maze of costumes, journal pages, movie posters, lyrics, notes to self, starts, incompletes, album covers, original shots vs. final edits, videos, interviews, various songs fading in and out of the headphones the museum provided for the exhibition. Toward the very end, the museum even displayed Bowie’s very own coke-spoon, the one he apparently carried in his pocket for over three years of his creative life (which I can’t believe he would need that).
People swayed in and out of corners mouthing the words to his songs, danced in place while reading his fashion biographies, gazed with wonderment at the layouts of his sheet music. Everyone shared their admiration of this man’s history; we learned how he grew up listening to jazz until he liked it, read books even if he didn’t comprehend them, and took full ownership of every oddity and quirk, the respected traits that eventually made him legendary. I walked out with a huge sense of fearless confidence, inspiration, and gratitude to Bowie and the museum’s tribute to his meaningful life. I left humbled and excited to continue my pursuit for commercial success in photographic arts.
It was clear as I stared at his photos this is a man who never allowed anyone to take control of his vision and ideas; he manifested his rebellion into melodic poetry. He left us his legacy, dreams, lessons in how to conquer the creative life residing in our heads, and showed us the curious and innovative tools which can be used by artists to make the process a lot more interesting. He busted down constricting boundaries and reminded me to never feel shame in my artistic pursuit because in the end, it’s mine, personal and subjective anyway.
Have you done anything lately which positively reinforced a decision you recently made? What has inspired you so far this summer? Share your photos and stories on Instagram and Facebook! Feel free to tag us! #WeAreLIB
