Independent Collectors

The David Bowie Collection

After the auction house Sotheby’s unveiled Bowie’s art collection to the public the title “art collector” is another one long overdue.

PIER GIACOMO and ACHILLE CASTIGLIONI, Brionvega Radiophonograph, model no RR 126, 1965. Photo: Sotheby's, © the artist
PIER GIACOMO and ACHILLE CASTIGLIONI, Brionvega Radiophonograph, model no RR 126, 1965. Photo: Sotheby's, © the artist

The list of professions and titles associated with David Bowie is long: musician, actor, icon, artist, critic, patron, publisher, curator and magazine editor. After the auction house Sotheby’s recently unveiled Bowie’s art collection to the public the title “art collector” is another one long overdue.

For decades David Bowie had been collecting art “obsessively and addictively”. Over time he has built an impressive collection that is driven by passion and a deep personal interest in the arts, from which he constantly sought inspiration: In a 1998 New York Times Article Bowie commented on Frank Auerbach’s work: “My God, yeah! I want to sound like that looks”.

Born and raised in London, Bowie’s collection naturally features some of the most important British artists of the 20th century, including names like Henry Moore, Graham Sutherland, Damien Hirst and, of course, Frank Auerbach. However, the art Bowie collected is by no means restricted to British artists but further transcends into other genres such as Contemporary African art or works from early century pioneers like Marcel Duchamp and Jean-Michel Basquiat. Consequently Bowie’s collection spans across all mediums: from paintings on canvas, readymade sculptures to furniture and design that bridges the gap between art and music such as a piece of 1960s Italian design in the form of a playful stereo cabinet.

From 1-10 November 2016 Bowie’s art collection can be visited at Sotheby’s New Bond Street galleries in London. Shortly after the exhibition ends, Sotheby’s will stage a three part sale, which includes a selection of around 400 items from Bowie’s private collection. In this online exhibition IC shares some of its highlights.

Art was, seriously, the only thing I’d ever wanted to own.

DAVID BOWIE

ROMUALD HAZOUMÈ, Alexandra, 1995. Photo: Sotheby's, © the artist
ROMUALD HAZOUMÈ, Alexandra, 1995. Photo: Sotheby's, © the artist
FRANK AUERBACH, Head of Gerda Boehm, 1965. Photo: Sotheby's, © the artist
FRANK AUERBACH, Head of Gerda Boehm, 1965. Photo: Sotheby's, © the artist
ETTORE SOTTSASS, ‘Casablanca’ Sideboard, 1981. Photo: Sotheby's, © the artist
ETTORE SOTTSASS, ‘Casablanca’ Sideboard, 1981. Photo: Sotheby's, © the artist
JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT, Air Power, 1984. Photo: Sotheby's, © the artist
JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT, Air Power, 1984. Photo: Sotheby's, © the artist
DAMIEN HIRST, Beautiful, Shattering, Slashing, Violent, Pinky, Hacking, Sphincter Painting, 1995. Photo: Sotheby's, © the artist
DAMIEN HIRST, Beautiful, Shattering, Slashing, Violent, Pinky, Hacking, Sphincter Painting, 1995. Photo: Sotheby's, © the artist
HAROLD GILMAN, Interior (Mrs Mounter), 1917. Photo: Sotheby's, © the artist
HAROLD GILMAN, Interior (Mrs Mounter), 1917. Photo: Sotheby's, © the artist

UK (23)

Roberts Institute of Art

A living organism to underpin research and debate

Mark Hicks Collection

The collection grown from a curiosity of editions from the streets.

Known Unknowns

A peek inside the exhibition that looks at the status of an artist in the mainstream art world.

Irmina Nazar & Artur Trawinski

The Polish collectors raising awareness on Eastern European Art.

Niloufar Bakhtiar Bakhtiari

In collaboration with Marina Ribera Iñigo, director and consultant at IñigoArt, we present the new video series "Collectors at Home".

You Are Looking at Something That Never Occurred

London’s Zabludowicz Collection showcases their recent presentation of the collection featuring works by Sara Cwynar, Elad Lassry, Natalie Czech, Richard Prince and Cindy Sherman.

Luigi Mazzoleni

Interview about how it was to grow up with collector parents.

Chatsworth House

It is rare that a contemporary art space lives up to the rhetoric of sustainability and uniqueness that frequently appears in press releases and profiles, but Chatsworth House, situated by the River Derwent in Derbyshire, is truly a special place.

Newport Street Gallery

The Newport Street Gallery is not easy to find, but then hard to miss: it takes over almost a whole street.

Franks-Suss Collection

Initially focused on China, collectors Simon Franks and Robert Suss soon widened their purview

Houghton Hall – King’s Lynn

Lavish 18th century interiors juxtaposed with contemporary outdoor sculpture

Anita Zabludowicz

An interview with the London-based collector who places young positions at the centre of her collection

Valeria Napoleone

The Italian-born collector actively seeks out under­represented positions and therefore only acquires works by women artists.

The Needle and the Larynx

We are proud to present “The Needle and the Larynx” (2016) by Marianna Simnett, as our 13th selection for AT HOME WITH IC.

When I’ll Die, I Want To Turn Into Marble

We are pleased to welcome Marine Tanguy to IC, as an ambitious, philanthropic art world woman, creating her own systems to get business done.

Hot With Excess

With a dynamic and experimental season of live events, “Hot With Excess” explores the collision of contemporary art and opera.

Jupiter Artland Summer Programme 2016

Highlights from the 2016 summer programme of Edinburgh’s award-winning sculpture park, Jupiter Artland.

Feminist Spirituality With Shana Moulton

The Zabludowicz Collection presents the immersive and off-kilter solo exhibition by American artist Shana Moulton.

The Radical Eye

Modernist Photography from the Sir Elton John Collection.

Jupiter Artland Spring Programme 2016

Highlights from the 2016 spring programme of Edinburgh’s award-winning sculpture park, Jupiter Artland.

Emotional Supply Chains

The construction of identity in the digital age.

Zabludowicz – 20 Years of Collecting

Anita Zabludowicz first began collecting in 1994. The collection initially featured artists such as Michael Landy, Keith Tyson, Gillian Wearing as well as others from the 1990s YBA generation when they were still at the beginning of their careers.