Leigh Bowery was a performance artist and fashion designer. Leigh influenced artists, fashion designers and musicians.

TRANSCRIPTION OF AUDIO

Chantal - Renegades of Sunshine - Leigh Bowery

Genevieve: Was the Bowery Theatre named after Leigh Bowery?

Chantal: Yes, Leigh Bowery  was a performance artist and fashion designer who was well known for costumes and controversial performances in London and New York. Leigh was born in 1961 who began life in Sunshine. Leigh’s parents were administrators for the Salvation Army. He studied music from an early age.  After secondary school he went on to study fashion and design at RMIT University.  

Genevieve: which he found limiting.

Chantal: Later in life, a friend Sue Tilley quotes his mother  

Genevieve:`Tell Leigh he could make clothes for nice ladies. He could make a very good living, you know. He's such a good sewer.' Leigh would say: `I don't want to make clothes for nice ladies.’ 

Chantal: He left Sunshine for London in 1980  at the age of 19. 

Genevieve:He quickly became the fabric of the London underground night club scene. He began to sell his own clothes at the Kensington Market.  “He used what was at hand (often cheap curtain fabric), transforming it into high-water trousers and extravagant shirts with oversized collars, big puffy shoulders, and detailed pocketing.”  As quoted.  

Chantal: As friend Sue Tilly said “His goal was to be a fashion designer, but he wouldn’t really fit in. He wrote in his diary in 1981:

Genevieve: ‘Fashion, where all girls have clear skin, blue eyes, blonde-blown wavy hair and a size 10 figure, and all the men have clear skin, moustaches, short waved blonde hair and masculine physical appearance, STINKS.” 

Chantal: During this time he became part of the New Romantic club scene. 

Genevieve:The New Romantic movement originated out of the 1970’s in England. 

Chantal: At particular underground clubs in London. People wore extravagant and unconventional outfits. Think Vivienne Westwood 1000 fold. 

Genevieve: 

Chantal: These clubs provided safe spaces for nonconformist folk where self- expression was at the forefront. 

The New Romantic club scene movement was primarily characterised by the outfits that were bold, bright and unconventional. 

Genevieve: It was an expression of difference. 

Chantal:  The outfits were works of art, androgynous and didn’t define genders.

Genevieve:It was said that New Romantics would spend hours together before going to a club to get ready including extravagant make-up and head gear. Sometimes the getting ready was the event and the party was never even attended. 

Chantal: Leigh had a dominating presence standing six feet one inch.  The wild costumes and theatrical make-up further enhanced his stature. Leigh was a major influence in the scene, often presenting impromptu performances. He designed and experimented with his own costumes. This was were he thrived and could truely express himself. 

Genevieve:In 1988, Leigh first performed to a mainstream art scene by having a one week performance at the Anthony D’Offay Gallery in London. 

Chantal: As quoted by author John-Paul Stonard

“Every afternoon for one week Bowery improvised a performance in front of a one-way mirror, wearing a different costume each time and accompanied by a soundtrack of traffic sounds; “  

Genevieve: One of his most well-known works “ Birth Show” was first performed in the London club Kinky Gerlinky. Leigh came on stage with his band in usual extravagant costume and performed an entire hour long set. The final performance was an enactment of “giving birth” to his close friend Nicola Bateman Bowery. 

She was strapped to him upside down naked in a special harness that couldn’t be seen. Using sausages, petroleum jelly, fake blood and nudity, Leigh gave birth.

After years of predictably surprising his audiences, Leigh once again managed to deliver a 

Inconceivable performance beyond what anyone could have imagined. 

This performance was repeated many times with Nicola Bateman Bowery. A close friend whom he married, during the last chapter of his life.  

Chantal: By this time, the late 80’s. Leigh Bowrey was a controversial well known identity, and becoming quite sort after.  

In New York, it was said Leigh was part of the Club Kids.  The Club Kids were a sub-culture group in the 1980’s and 90’s who were part of the underground nightclub scene. They were LQBTQIA people that flaunted sexual fluidity, led an alternative lifestyle, drug use and most importantly DIY fashion on dance floors.  

Genevieve:As artist and friend Cerith Wyn Evans said

Chantal:  “ I don’t think he actually liked the whole New York Club Kids thing. He went there, he was adored there….. He liked the drag queens who were politicized. He liked revolutionary people. Political people.”  

Genevieve: Micheal ClarkCompany, in London engaged Leigh to design costumes for the dance work No Fire Escape in Hell. 

Chantal: Micheal Clark, a fellow pioneer- formed his own ballet dance company at the age of 22.  His dance works incorporated punk music, fantastical theatre sets,  and eccentric costumes. 

Genevieve: For the dance work No Fire Escape in Hell; Leigh did what did best. The costumes were provocative with material cut out of the crutch and bottom areas for all genders of dancers. Dresses were made from see-through aprons with a style influenced by store bought dolls. T-shirt cone-shaped breasts - pre Madonna. Pink poca dots with knee high football socks over the ballet pointe shoes.

Chantal: Leigh’s influence in fashion, and art was massive and continues today. He influenced not only fashion designers but also musicians and performance artists.

Genevieve:He developed an unlikely friendship with English painter Lucian Freud. Lucian asked Leigh to pose for him naked. The result were a series of large paintings, presenting Leigh without costume or wigs.  Paintings stood 2 meters high further intensifying Leigh’s naked stature. 

Chantal: Leigh worked in many eclectic areas of the Arts. “His more conventional engagements included an art director on the 1991 video for Massive Attack’s Unfinished Sympathy, a stylist for Rifat Özbek and a costume designer for Culture Club.” Lauren Cochrane quotes "His career resists categorisation.”

Genevieve: At the young age of 33, Leigh passed away from HIV/AIDS related illness unbeknownst to many.

As close friend Sue Tilly quotes His three wishes before his passing were…  

Chantal:

for his body to be returned to his family in Australia.

His middle name not to be known

No mention of God at his funeral service

Genevieve: It was also quoted that he wanted to be remembered as someone of influence not the person who died from HIV/AIDS.

Chantal: As Stewart Laing says of Leigh Bowery “He’s the person who came to the nearest of living his life as a work of art”. 

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