Tate Modern celebrates Leigh Bowery, an important artist from the 20th century. Bowery lived from 1961 to 1994 and took on many roles, including artist, performer, club kid, model, TV personality, fashion designer, and musician. He changed how people view clothing and makeup by treating them as art. Bowery challenged social norms and developed a style of performance art that used the body to question traditional ideas about aesthetics, sexuality, and gender.

Tate Modern’s exhibition Leigh Bowery features Bowery’s amazing costumes, paintings, photos, and videos. It looks at how he changed art, fashion, and popular culture. The exhibition covers his journey from Sunshine, Melbourne, to becoming a well-known cultural figure, showcasing his bold and complex creativity and his lasting impact on contemporary art.

Visitors can explore Bowery’s journey from when he arrived in London from Australia in 1980. The exhibition shows how he influenced the city’s nightlife, especially with his club night Taboo, which he started in 1985 alongside Boy George and Princess Julia. This club allowed him and others to embrace their true selves. Bowery famously asked, “How many meanings does ‘OK’ have?” His bold style made him stand out in the scene.

Visitors can see the detailed costumes made by Bowery, along with Nicola Rainbird and corset maker Mr. Pearl. Fergus Greer’s photographs will display these creations, and a special music and video installation by filmmaker Jeffrey Hinton will capture the lively spirit of the Taboo era, bringing the underground community to life for audiences.

After leaving the nightclub scene, Bowery moved into the worlds of dance and art. In 1984, he started working with choreographer Michael Clark, designing costumes for nearly ten years. This collaboration is featured in excerpts from two films: Hail the New Puritan (1985) and Because We Must (1989). Bowery’s bold approach was evident in his 1988 performance, where he posed in front of a two-way mirror for five days, unaware of the viewers watching him. This turned the gallery into a social space. The reactions of people who saw the performance are captured in Dick Jewell’s short film, “What’s Your Reaction to the Show?” (1988).

A key moment in Bowery’s connection with contemporary art came from his close friendship with Lucian Freud in the late 1980s. Freud’s personal portraits of Bowery will be shown at Tate Modern, demonstrating how the artist captured the vibrant performer. Inspired by the closeness of posing, Bowery started using his body as material and famously said, “Flesh is the most fabulous fabric.” Works by photographers like Nick Knight and films by Charles Atlas will show how Bowery embraced contemporary surrealism, even during his famous ‘birth’ performances, where he dramatically ‘gave birth’ to Nicola Rainbird, pushing the limits of the human form.

The exhibition will end with Bowery’s musical project featuring his band Minty, which combines performance, shock, and humour. His last show at Freedom Café in London in November 1994 was attended by a young Lee “Alexander’’ McQueen and Lucian Freud, highlighting his important impact on art and fashion.

Image supplied: credit Dick Jewell Still from What’s Your Reaction to the Show 1988 © Dick Jewell.