Leigh Bowery

Leigh Bowery (26 March 1961 – 31 December 1994) was an

Based in London for much of his adult life, he was a significant model and muse^[1] for the English painter Lucian Freud. Bowery's friend and fellow performer Boy George said he saw Bowery's outrageous performances a number of times, and that it "never ceased to impress or revolt".^[2][3]

Early life and early years in London

Bowery was born and raised in

He quickly became an influential and lively figure in the underground clubs of London, and New York, as well as in art and fashion circles. He attracted attention by wearing wildly outlandish and creative outfits during the day and at nighttime, which he made himself. He became friends and flatmates with artist Gary Barnes (known as "Trojan") and David Walls. Bowery created costumes for them to wear, and the trio became known in the clubs as "The Three Kings".[7]^[8]

He often appeared in magazines and on television, including commercials for Pepe Jeans and Rifat Ozbek.

In 2005, The National Portrait Gallery of Australia acquired a portrait of Bowery, in his infamous fur coat, by photographer David Gwinnutt. In 2007, The National Portrait Gallery, London purchased Gwinnutt's portrait of Bowery and Trojan (Barnes), which also appears in the Violette Editions book.

Taboo club

He was known as a

He also designed costumes for the Michael Clark Dance Company.

When that company performed at the

In London in 1988, Bowery met the noted painter Lucian Freud in his club Taboo. They were introduced by a friend they had in common, the artist Cerith Wyn Evans. Freud had seen Bowery perform at Anthony d'Offay Gallery, in London. In Bowery's first public appearance in the context of fine art, Bowery posed behind a one-way mirror in the gallery dressed in the flamboyant costumes he was known for.

Bowery used his body and manipulation of his flesh to create personas. This involved almost masochistically taping his torso and piercing his cheeks with pins in order to hold masks, as well as wearing outlandish makeup. Freud said, "the way he edits his body is amazingly aware and amazingly abandoned". In return, Bowery said of Freud: "I love the psychological aspect of his work – in fact, I sometimes felt as if I had been undergoing psychoanalysis with him ... His work is full of tension. Like me, he is interested in the underbelly of things".^[13]

Bowery posed for a number of large full-length paintings that are considered among Freud's best work. The paintings tend to exaggerate Bowery's 6-foot 3inch, and 17 stone physique to monumental proportions. The paintings had a strong impact as part of Freud's exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1994. Freud said he found him "perfectly beautiful", and commented, "His wonderfully buoyant bulk was an instrument I felt I could use, especially those extraordinary dancer's legs". Freud noted that Leigh by nature was a shy and gentle man, and his flamboyant persona was in part a form of self-defence.^{[14][15][16][17]}

Jonathan Jones, writing for The Guardian describes Freud's portrait, Leigh Bowery (seated):^[18]

Bowery is a character out of Renaissance art - perhaps Silenus, the companion of Dionysus. His flesh is a magnificent ruin, at once damaged and riotously alive. Who knew skin was so particoloured? To count the hues of even one of his feet is impossible: purple, grey, yellow, brown, the paint creamy, calloused, bulging. In a velvet chair tilted down towards us on the raked stage of the wooden studio floor, his mass looms up and dwarfs us. Walk close your eyes are probably the height of his penis. Bowery's violet-domed, wrinkly tube hangs between thighs marked with sinister spots or cuts his knees are massive. Bowery is a painted monument who quietly contemplates his existence inside this flesh.

Minty

In 1993, Bowery formed the

In November 1994, Minty began a two-week-long show at London's Freedom Cafe, including audience member

Minty was a financial loss and represented a low point in Bowery's colourful career. After his death, the band continued under the leadership of Bateman and Glammore up until the release of album Open Wide. This 1997 album was released on Candy Records and featured the singles "Useless Man",[25] "Plastic Bag", "Nothing" and "That's Nice". A spin-off band called The Offset later formed including artist Donald Urquhart.^[26]

In 2020, Open Wide was re-issued by Candy Records in association with The state51 Conspiracy, while "Useless Man" received a remix by Boy George and a new promo video directed by Torry and Glammore.^[20]

Personal life

Although Bowery was known to be and always described himself as gay, he married his long-time female companion Nicola Bateman on 13 May 1994 in

Boy George was the creative force, the lyricist and performer in the musical Taboo, which was loosely based on Bowery's club. The musical was produced in 2002 on the West End in London, and then opened on Broadway. As a performer, Boy George played Bowery.^[30]

In an interview conducted by

Bowery was the main inspiration for the Tranimal drag movement, which emphasised an animalistic and post-modern take on drag.^[31][32]

Bowery was the subject of a contemporary dance, physical theatre and circus show in August 2018 at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, put on by Australian choreographer Andy Howitt.^[9][33]

Publications

• Leigh Bowery Verwandlungskünstler, editor Angela Stief, published by Piet Meyer Verlag, Vienna, (2015);
  ISBN 978-3-90579-931-6
• Leigh Bowery Looks, by Leigh Bowery, Fergus Greer, published by Thames & Hudson Ltd; New Ed edition (2005);
  ISBN 0-500-28566-7
• Leigh Bowery Looks by Leigh Bowery, Fergus Greer, published by Violette Editions (2006);
  ISBN 1-900-82827-8
• Leigh Bowery, Violette Editions, London, (1998),
  ISBN 978-1-90082-804-8

• Open Wide (Candy Records, CAN 2LP/CAN 2CD, LP/CD, 1997)[34]

Singles

All singles also included multiple remixes of the lead tracks.^[34]

The Offset

Compilation album

• The Offset Presents Minty – It's A Game - Part I (Poppy Records, POPPYCD6, 1997)^[34]

Partial videography

• Hail the New Puritan (1985–6), Charles Atlas
• Because We Must (1987), Charles Atlas
• Generations of Love (1990), Baillie Walsh for Boy George
• Unfinished Sympathy (1991), Art Director for Massive Attack single^[35]
• Teach (1992), Charles Atlas
• A Smashing Night Out (1994), Matthew Glamorre
• Death in Vegas (1994), Mark Hasler
• Performance at Fort Asperen (1994)
• Flour (single screen version) (1995), Angus Cook
• U2: Popmart - Live from Mexico City (1997), Dancer during 'Lemon Mix'
• Read Only Memory (estratto) (1998), John Maybury
• “Wigstock: The documentary” (1995), Lady Bunny

See also

• Club Kids

References