Being the Alien: The Space Pierrots and Circus Spaces of David Bowie, Klaus Nomi and Michael Jackson

Abstract

Some particular popular and culturally influential manifestations of circus-related performing bodies in alien costumes emerged on Earth during the peak of the Space Age and thereafter, i.e. between the 1970s and 1990s. They include the out-of-this-world stage personae created by David Bowie, Klaus Nomi and Michael Jackson. In their performances, these icons of popular music reformulated their bodies through costumes that invoked both circus and the alien as a model for a subject that is tolerant of alterity. Each of them conjured up a unique aesthetic that blends clown iconography and circus world references, space imaginary and artistic expression. Exploring selected video clips and short films, this chapter examines both the visual means—visual fictions—through which the three artists assert their personae as well as the cultural legacy they have left for subsequent generations. Show more