{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1797219"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1797219/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2025PE9787/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2025PE9787/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2025PE9787","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2025PE9790","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2025PE9789","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2025PE9788","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2025PE9786","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2025PE9784","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1797219","accessionNumber":"LOAN:AMERICASFOUNDATION.2642-2024","objectType":"Artwork","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"","physicalDescription":"Artwork 'Glamour' by Edward Bell, depicting David Bowie, 1980.\r\n\r\nMultimedia artwork featuring an illustration of David Bowie in paint, pencil and oil pastel on paper, surrounded by collaged polaroid photographs attached with masking tape, and a torn strip from a black and white photograph. Bowie appears in a pale blue Pierrot suit. He is smoking a cigarette and running his right hand through his hair. The polaroids each feature Bowie in various stages of having his makeup done for the 'Ashes to Ashes' music video. The artwork is mounted on an MDF board with timber supports, and has a sheet of perspex held across the front with perspex clamps and nails.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Bell, Edward","id":"AUTH403007"},"association":{"text":"artist","id":"AAT25103"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"paint","id":"AAT15029"},{"text":"oil pastel","id":"x44107"},{"text":"pencil","id":"x30347"},{"text":"polaroid","id":"AAT127373"},{"text":"masking tape","id":"AAT14836"},{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"},{"text":"MDF","id":"x34484"},{"text":"wood","id":"AAT11914"},{"text":"perspex","id":"AAT14435"},{"text":"metal","id":"AAT10900"},{"text":"wire","id":"AAT11063"},{"text":"glue","id":"AAT14815"}],"techniques":[{"text":"painting","id":"x30598"},{"text":"drawing","id":"x32498"},{"text":"taping","id":"x39893"},{"text":"mounting","id":"AAT81370"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Paint, oil pastel, pencil, polaroid photographs and masking tape on paper\r\nMDF and wooden support with perspex, metal hardware and wire","categories":[{"text":"David Bowie Archive","id":"THES394093"},{"text":"Entertainment and leisure","id":"THES48959"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2025PE9787","2025PE9790","2025PE9789","2025PE9788","2025PE9786","2025PE9784"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"001","id":"THES392223"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"artworks","id":"AAT133025"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Great Britain","id":"x32019"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1980","earliest":"1980-01-01","latest":"1980-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[{"object":{"text":"LOAN:AMERICASFOUNDATION.1592-2024","id":"O1782315"},"association":""}],"creditLine":"Lent by the V&A Americas Foundation through the generosity of Jones/Tintoretto Entertainment Company LLC","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"148","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"122.6","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"3.1","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"DAVID BOWIE / GLAMOUR / - EDWARD BELL - '80 -\r\n1. 2. 3. 4. 12. 5. 6. 7. 8. 17.","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Painted on front of artwork"}],"objectHistory":"British artist Edward Bell first encountered David Bowie when he unexpectedly attended a private view for Bell’s first exhibition ‘Larger Than Life’ at Neal Street Gallery in 1980.\r\nLater that year, Bowie was looking to design the cover for his new album; Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps). Bowie undertook a photoshoot with photographer Brian Duffy, capturing images of him wearing his famous ‘Ashes to Ashes’ Pierrot costume designed by Natasha Korniloff. \n\r\nBut Bowie also invited Edward Bell to attend this photoshoot. After Bowie had been photographed by Duffy in his Pierrot costume, Bell asked him to strip away some clothing, muss his hair and smear his make-up, and took some reference shots of this. Bell said these changes meant that:\n\r\n ‘This was an image no longer, wistful, pretty, safe or fey, but a glimpse of glamour in its dangerous extremity; decadent and blatantly seductive...’\n\r\nBell recalled that Bowie, impressed by these images, told Bell that ‘… “[the cover’s] only yours”, with the sole restriction: his fair hair had to be painted as though hennaed, because in America he was known as ‘”the red haired bi-sexual”.’\n\r\nBell created an original piece of artwork based on the reference shots that he took of Bowie in his distressed Pierrot costume (LOAN:AMERICASFOUNDATION.2591-2024). Ultimately, it was this piece of art that was used for the album cover. Bell also created another piece of art entitled ‘Glamour’ based on the same photo session. (LOAN:AMERICASFOUNDATION.2642-2024). He recalled ‘Glamour used a transparency from the album cover photo session, whilst on the way to restyling the whole image. I remember being anxious to catch it before the long tail of ash tipped off the end of his cigarette. I projected and painted it for myself, but when Bowie visited my studio and saw it, he immediately bought it…’`","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Artwork 'Glamour' by Edward Bell, depicting David Bowie, 1980","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[{"text":"Album: Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) (1980)","id":"AUTH401603"}],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["LOAN:AMERICASFOUNDATION.2642-2024"],"accessionNumberNum":"2642","accessionNumberPrefix":"LOAN:AMERICASFOUNDATION","accessionYear":2024,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"David Bowie Archive Number","id":"THES394108"},"number":"1980.3009.0131"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-05-27","recordCreationDate":"2025-02-21","availableToBook":false}}