Over the course of a single day in December 1992, photographer Kevin Davies took a series of photos of David Bowie for his upcoming album Black Tie White Noise.
While some of the photos were approved by Bowie for press use, most of the original rolls of film, contact sheets and prints were put into storage where they remained until 2020.
Discovering over 400 film negatives in pristine condition, Davies realised the cultural significance of the collection and worked with Bowie biographer Dylan Jones to bring the collection to the public.
We felt quite privileged to see the David Bowie - A London Day exhibition in the Fitzrovia Chapel. The chapel is beautiful and provided a perfect backdrop for the collection of prints.
The chapel features stunning marble flooring, intricate gold leaf detailing, and spectacular stained glass windows, including the remarkable east window, which bathes the space in colorful light.
The ceiling is adorned with exquisite mosaics, inspired by the Byzantine style, making the chapel a masterpiece of art and architecture.
Fitzrovia Chapel was completed in 1891 as part of the Middlesex Hospital. Today the chapel is all that remains of the hospital complex, a tiny red brick building nestled in amongst modern apartment and commercial buildings. After the hospital was closed in 2005 and subsequently demolished, Fitzrovia Chapel underwent a careful restoration which completed in 2015.
We visited the exhibition in its final week in March but the chapel is open to the public and provides details of upcoming exhibitions on their website.
Fitzrovia Chapel
Fitzroy Place
2 Pearson Square
London W1T 3BF
April has been quite a month! I had eye surgery on the 2nd April and it took much longer to recover than I'd anticipated. I couldn't exercise for a week afterwards, not that I'd have wanted to, and I'm still adjusting to the changes in my near-and-middle-distance vision. I'll have to see how it affects my photography but haven't taken my camera out yet.
Just when I was settling down, I fell down the stairs and twisted my ankle badly. I'm recovering now but have agreed that April was not the most auspicious month. Here's to more adventures in the months to come!
The Chapel looks stunning. A beatuiful place to display an art collection.
ReplyDeleteI am glad you got the opportunity to visit the Bowie exhibition.
what an inspiring place and event to attend, the stained glass, the walls and the floors are a delight to watch. added to that are some rather stunning photos (https://www.fitzroviachapel.org/our-history/) . i hope you are feeling much better now, Mandy!
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, Mandy, OH NO about your eye surgery and fall, knowing how such things can throw you for a loop, especially if you're a photographer. Here's to all the get-well-wishes you need to recover fully.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, OMG about that David Bowie exhibit AND the chapel. I'd be hard-pressed to know what to concentrate on more! What an experience for you.
Wow, that looks like a spectacular background for a magnificent photo display of one of my heros. I'm so glad that photographer rediscovered all the images he took of Bowie. Your photos are great too.
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