David Bowie: The Man Who Bought the Art World

THE TELEGRAPH
By Colin Gleadell
January 16, 2016
David Bowie pictured alongside a Peter Howson. David Bowie pictured alongside Peter Howson's controversial 1994 Croatian Muslim war painting
Most of the obituaries for rock star David Bowie refer to him not only as a musician, performer, style icon and artist, but also as an art collector. In 1998 he told the New York Times: “Art was the only thing I’d ever wanted to own”. In 1999 he told the BBC’s Jeremy Paxman that “the only thing I buy addictively is art”. So what did he collect? He had a couple of Old Masters and some German Expressionist prints that jelled with his edgy Berlin period. But “the majority of what I have is British 20th century,” he told the New York Times. What will happen to the Bowie collection now is anyone’s guess. Hopefully we’ll get to see it all together somewhere, sometime. [link]

Sotheby’s: "Bowie/Collector" at auction (November 10/11, 2016); Prior to the auction, a preview exhibition of Bowie's nearly 300 works including David Jones (below) and Peter Howson (above) will travel to Los Angeles (September 20–21), New York (September 26–29), and Hong Kong (October 12–15). ; (212) 606-7000; sothebys.com
Crucifixion" (1922) by David Jones, Pencil and Watercolor (9.3 x 6.5 in.) Collection of David Bowie
"Croation & Muslim in Mail" (1994) by Peter Howson. Collection of David Bowie