Captured by John Rowlands during Bowie's Isolar II tour, this previously unseen black-and-white photograph shows the artist mid-song, cigarette in hand. Bowie embodies the Berlin Trilogy aesthetic: cinematic, angular, psychologically charged, yet intimately present. Hand-signed by John Rowlands, strictly limited edition.
The Full Story
The Moment
Captured by John Rowlands during Bowie's Isolar II tour, this previously unseen black-and-white photograph shows the artist mid-song, cigarette in hand. Bowie embodies the Berlin Trilogy aesthetic: cinematic, angular, psychologically charged, yet intimately present. The image freezes a fleeting performance gesture, revealing the poise and controlled intensity of a performer in a creatively revitalized period.
The Heritage
The Isolar II tour marked Bowie's return to live performance after the Berlin period, during which he had overcome previous drug dependencies. While the cigarette is a reminder of his personal habits, this era represented one of his most focused and artistically healthy tours. The photograph occupies a distinctive place in Bowie visual history, with the cigarette-in-hand detail underscoring the cool detachment and theatrical nonchalance that defined this transformative period.
Provenance & Release Previously unpublished and unreleased from the John Rowlands archive. Hand-signed by John Rowlands, strictly limited and hand-numbered. Museum-grade scanning and archival pigment printing on heavyweight, acid-free fine art paper.
Size:
Deutschlandhalle, Berlin — May 16, 1978
Captured by John Rowlands during Bowie's Isolar II tour, this previously unseen black-and-white photograph shows the artist mid-song, cigarette in hand. Bowie embodies the Berlin Trilogy aesthetic: cinematic, angular, psychologically charged, yet intimately present. Hand-signed by John Rowlands, strictly limited edition.
The Full Story
The Moment
Captured by John Rowlands during Bowie's Isolar II tour, this previously unseen black-and-white photograph shows the artist mid-song, cigarette in hand. Bowie embodies the Berlin Trilogy aesthetic: cinematic, angular, psychologically charged, yet intimately present. The image freezes a fleeting performance gesture, revealing the poise and controlled intensity of a performer in a creatively revitalized period.
The Heritage
The Isolar II tour marked Bowie's return to live performance after the Berlin period, during which he had overcome previous drug dependencies. While the cigarette is a reminder of his personal habits, this era represented one of his most focused and artistically healthy tours. The photograph occupies a distinctive place in Bowie visual history, with the cigarette-in-hand detail underscoring the cool detachment and theatrical nonchalance that defined this transformative period.
Provenance & Release Previously unpublished and unreleased from the John Rowlands archive. Hand-signed by John Rowlands, strictly limited and hand-numbered. Museum-grade scanning and archival pigment printing on heavyweight, acid-free fine art paper.
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