Aladdin Sane at 50: The Making of an Icon
Delve deeper into our exhibition celebrating Bowie’s album and its unforgettable cover image, in a talk chaired by curator Victoria Broackes.
Broackes is joined on the panel by Chris Duffy, Nicholas Pegg and Mona Arshi.
Our current exhibition Aladdin Sane: 50 Years marks the 50th anniversary of Bowie’s sixth studio album, and its iconic lightning bolt cover, shot by Brian Duffy.
Bowie not only wanted people to be what they wanted to be but also to look like they wanted, whatever the norms of society.
Bowie was a master of self-promotion and his previous five albums had all used his own image on the cover. His changing identities reflect his growing confidence and use of theatrical presentation.
With Ziggy Stardust, he created a persona that could be used on and off stage. Duffy was given the challenge of creating a new image that would outdo even the alien Bowie standing in Heddon Street.
The resulting Aladdin Sane has been described as one of the most influential images of the late twentieth century, ‘the Mona Lisa of pop’ and has been copied and parodied ever since.
Victoria Broackes previously curated the V&A’s David Bowie Is exhibition with Geoffrey Marsh.
Chris Duffy is the son of Brian Duffy, and an established photographer in his own right. Since Duffy’s death, Chris has established the Duffy Archive to preserve his father’s work and legacy. He has recently edited Aladdin Sane 50, published by Welbeck Publishing, a new book exploring the album and the story behind the creation of its famous cover. He has also filmed many musicians and personalities who worked with Bowie over the years.
Mona Arshi’s debut collection, Small Hands, won the Forward Prize for best first collection. Her second collection, Dear Big Gods, was published in 2019. Her writing has been published in The Times, The Guardian, Granta and The Times of India as well as on the London Underground. She was writer in residence at Cley Marshes in Norfolk. She is currently a fellow in creative writing at Trinity College , Cambridge. Her debut novel Somebody Loves You was published by And Other Stories in 2021 and has been shortlisted for the Goldsmith Prize and Jhalak Prize.
Nicholas Pegg is the author of The Complete David Bowie, described by the artist’s longtime producer Tony Visconti as ‘the best Bowie reference book one could ever hope for’. Pegg has acted as a consultant and contributor to Bowie projects including Brett Morgen’s BAFTA-nominated film Moonage Daydream, the V&A exhibition David Bowie Is and the BBC’s Five Years documentaries. He is a regular contributor to the Albumtoalbum Bowie podcast, and has hosted Bowie tribute events as far afield as the USA and Australia.
Need to know
For ages 16+
Multi-buy discount
Book two or more literature and poetry events from our Aladdin Sane: 50 Years series and receive a £2 discount per ticket. Bookings must be made in the same transaction.
Events in this offer include:
NPL Presents: Aladdin Sound
Making a Show
Aladdin Sane’s Queer Legacies
Aladdin Sane at 50: The Making of an Icon
Dates & times
Price
- Standard entryFrom £12*
- Concessions25%**
* Excludes £3.50 booking fee.
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** Limited availability. Read about concessions.
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Purcell Room
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