Icon David Bowie Passes Away at 69

David Bowie Leaves a Legacy of Ingenuity and Weirdness 

Writer, actor, musician, and visual artist David Bowie passed away at the age of 69 on Sunday, January 10th. The visionary known for hits such as "Life on Mars?" and "Changes" ended his 18 month battle with cancer when he "... died peacefully... surrounded by his family," according to a recent post on Bowie's Facebook page. Just days ago his latest music video, "Lazarus," from the new album Blackstar was released.  

David Bowie was a revolutionary of his time, becoming the bridge between mass media and high art. While Andy Warhol and his Factory brethren were embracing androgyny and sexual fluidity at the time, the pop artist's more subversive works were relegated to the upper echelon of galleries on the coasts. Bowie brought weirdness to the masses, balancing chart topping hits (with seven albums making it to the Billboard top 10) with his creative and unique androgynous look, helped by the talented Freddie Burretti. With heavy makeup, wildly imaginative costumes, and elaborate set pieces Bowie soon made it into the zeitgeist of pop culture and high art, and had one of the most profound impacts of any 20th century artist. The artist's feeling of isolation was prevalent in his works, and his reflections resonated with fans in need of a new icon. 

While Andy Warhol actually thought Bowie represented a blasé, watering down of art, I feel that subversion comes from breaking out of esoteric circles, and with his provocative lyrics blasting on radios in places like Laredo, TX, wherever the hell that is, Bowie was invaluable in helping the world to embrace uniqueness. Let's end with, in my opinion, one of David's most memorable looks.