UNITED KINGDOM / AGILITYPR.NEWS / July 08, 2021 / Previously unseen photos, sculpture and portraits from the collection of Edward Bell, who designed Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) album cover, come to auction at Hall’s

If you’re a David Bowie fan, it’s your dream come true: the chance to buy original artwork, designs, portraits, sculptures and band photo shoots from the personal collection of the artist who designed the cover to one of his most successful albums.

When Bowie commissioned Edward Bell to create the album artwork for Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps), the highly acclaimed album following the seminal Berlin Trilogy, it was the beginning of a relationship that was to last into the 1990s, taking in the rock and pop chameleon’s Tin Machine period too.

The album marked Bowie’s transition to a more commercial approach to music making that was to bring him greatest success three years later with the album Let’s Dance and The Serious Moonlight tour.

Now Halls Fine Art of Shrewsbury have partnered with the Dory Gallery to present unique artworks – some personally inscribed by Bowie himself and all offered on the market for the first time – in a £75,000 dedicated online auction under the title The David Bowie Collection of Artist Edward Bell.

Pieces on offer include some of the most stunning artwork ever created involving the legendary music star, such as a series of iconic portraits showing Bowie as Lazarus and the Savage Heart sculpture created to decorate the CD album cover for Tin Machine II.

Perhaps of most interest to fans will be original artwork proofs for the 1980 hit single Fashion and original proofs for the Scary Monsters album cover design, as well as Bell’s original diptych sketch of Bowie for the Scary Monsters album artwork – and the original photos used to inspire the artwork.

Prices are pretty accessible too, with much of what is on offer in the hundreds of pounds, rising to estimates of £1,000-2,000 for the most sought-after pieces, including the Scary Monsters cover design proofs.

“My personal favourite is lot 42, the Savage Heart sculpture, which was modelled on Bowie’s torso for the Tin Machine II artwork,” says Halls Fine Art specialist Abigail Molenaar.

“The rarity of the items is outstanding and I really feel that each lot is a chance to take home a piece of pop history, and having come directly from Bowie’s ‘favourite artist’ the provenance could not be any better!”

The 139-lot auction will run from July 16 to August 1.

Images courtesy of Hall’s Fine Art and The Dory Gallery. Further images available on request

For further details contact Lucas Field Media at info@lucasfieldmedia.com

Tel: 07968 952850

Captions

Scary

David Bowie Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) album cover design, printers proof, signed bottom right, inscribed ‘colour too intense’, measuring 34.5 x 64 cm without frame. From the personal collection of Edward Bell. Estimated at £1,000 - £2,000

Heart

Savage Heart sculpture, modelled on David Bowie’s torso. Reinforced plaster of paris with bone bead necklace within wooden crate, sculpture created during Tin Machine process and used on the CD disk cover, signed and dated ’90 verso. 31 cm high x 31 cm wide. The original drawing for Savage Heart was purchased by David Bowie for his personal collection. This is the only version of this sculpture that Bell created. Estimated at £2,000 - £4,000

Icon

David Bowie Golden Icon Portrait, from the icons series created by Edward Bell for the 'Unmade Up...' publication as illustrated on page 98, oil on panel, signed and dated 2016 verso, 67.5 x 55.5 cm. Estimated at £2,000 - £3,000

Diptych

Diptych sketch for Scary Monsters album artwork, mixed media collage, inscribed Bowie/David, signed and dated ’80 lower right margin, 27 x 33 cm without frame. Estimated at £400 - £600

Contact sheet

Scary Monsters photoshoot contact sheet, four photographs laid on paper, signed in pencil bottom right. Illustrated in Edward Bell's 2017 Unmade Up... publication, page 8. Estimated at £400 - £600

Fashion

David Bowie Fashion single design, from the Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) album, printer’s proof, inscribed O.K. proof, signed and dated ’80 bottom right, 45 x 64 cm without frame. Estimated at £800 - £1,200

Machine

Tin Machine album cover, original mock up with traced signatures, mixed media on card, stamped March 1991 top right, signed in pen by artist top right margin, inscribed in pen by David Bowie ‘Jolly good, a splendid effort keep it up’ Bowie ’91 bottom margin, 38 x 38 cm without frame. Illustrated in Edward Bell's 2017 Unmade Up... publication, page 72. Estimated at £2,000 - £4,000

Polaroid

David Bowie with Goatee polaroid, from Tin Machine photoshoot, signed in pen bottom right, 11 x 9 cm without frame. Estimated at £300 - £500

Photoshoot

Four Polaroids including image of the Savage Heart sculpture, Hunt Sales' back tattoo, Tin Machine band in togas all from the Tin Machine photoshoot, together with a further polaroid of David Bowie in full makeup from the Scary Monsters photoshoot which is signed bottom right by the artist, all in one frame measuring 29 x 28 cm. Illustrated in Edward Bell's 2017 Unmade Up... publication, page 18. Estimated at £500 - £700

Toga

David Bowie in Toga, waterbottle on the catwalk, polaroid, signed left margin, measurements 10 x 10.3 cm without frame. Estimated at £300 - £500

Goatee portrait

David Bowie with Goatee Portrait, from the Icons series created for the 'Unmade Up...' publication as illustrated on page 95, oil on panel, signed and dated 2016 verso, 70 x 53.5 cm. Estimated at £1,000 - £2,000

Make-up

Colour print Bowie in Scary Monsters Makeup, for Unmade Up...publication, signed in pencil bottom right, 34 x 25 cm. Estimated at £100 - £200