ABSTRACT

David Bowie: Critical Perspectives examines in detail the many layers of one of the most intriguing and influential icons in popular culture. This interdisciplinary book brings together established and emerging scholars from a wide variety of backgrounds, including musicology, sociology, art history, literary theory, philosophy, politics, film studies and media studies. Bowie’s complexity as a singer, songwriter, producer, performer, actor and artist demands that any critical engagement with his overall work must be interdisciplinary and wide-ranging in its scope. The chapters are organised around the key themes of ‘textualities’, ‘psychologies’, ‘orientalisms’, ‘art and agency’ and ‘performing and influencing’ in Bowie’s work. This comprehensive book contributes a great deal to the study of popular music, performance, gender, religion, popular media and celebrity.

chapter 1|18 pages

David Bowie is

chapter 2|16 pages

In this Age of Grand Allusion

Bowie, Nihilism and Meaning

chapter 3|21 pages

Culminating Sounds and (En)visions

Ashes to Ashes and the case for Pierrot

chapter 4|26 pages

Turn Myself to Face Me

David Bowie in the 1990s and Discovery of Authentic Self

chapter 5|29 pages

‘Crashing Out with Sylvian'

David Bowie, Carl Jung and the Unconscious

chapter 6|17 pages

Dear Dr. Freud—David Bowie Hits the Couch

A psychoanalytic approach to some of his personae

chapter 7|19 pages

Moss Garden

David Bowie and Japonism in fashion in the 1970s

chapter 8|13 pages

The “China Girl” Problem

Reconsidering David Bowie in the 1980, s

chapter 9|18 pages

Embodying Stardom, Representing Otherness

David Bowie in ‘Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence'

chapter 10|18 pages

Art's Filthy Lesson

chapter 11|19 pages

Authorship, Agency and Visual Analysis

Reading (some) Bowie Album Covers

chapter 13|15 pages

David Bowie

The Extraordinary Rock Star as Film Star

chapter 15|17 pages

Out of this World

Ziggy Stardust and the Spatial Interplay of Lyrics, Vocals and Performance

chapter 16|15 pages

David Bowie Now and Then

Questions of Fandom and Late Style

chapter 17|15 pages

How Superficial!—

Bowie and the Art of Surfacing in 21st Century Literature