ZIG ZAG
Cool older sister.
While on a family drive in the early 80’s, she handed me our family walkman: ‘Listen to this’. It was Rebel Rebel and my pre-teen mind burned with it. While we all liked David Bowie, it was time to get deeper into the catalog. She bought the Rock-n-Roll Suicide single that I later pinned next to the mirror in my college dorm room so I could check myself with this dude looking on. And some things you never grow out of. When the DAVID BOWIE IS exhibit first came to North America some 30 years later, I flew to Toronto for my birthday to experience it and came face to face with this outfit (those are capri pants ya’ll!) Now I’m not going to bore anyone with fan/icon analysis, this is just for context. Anyone can see why these images are immediately compelling. Confrontational. Transitional. Inspirational.
For my home, I knew the NAZ would set the tone and greet us at the door. Zig in. Zag out.
The photo I used by Masayoshi Sukita has David in that funky Freddie Burretti suit, delicious Kansai Yamamoto boots, Pierre La Roche makeup, and tons of ‘tude. I’d use the photo’s dark orange backdrop to slice through the greys in the room and add a giant beam that goes up the ceiling to the landing, gradually blending with the calmer palette upstairs (read about that in this post). IRL, David was 5’9”+…we’ve made him larger than life, over 7” tall. This is for optimal viewing. I wanted to see those boots and come eye to eye with that face when I come down the stairs and turn on the landing. Details + placement matter!
INSTALLATION:
So who’s gonna print up this bad boy? Sign Wizards of course! They’re the best. After a print check (the first try was way too neon, so I toned down the orange/brilliance) we were good to go. Using the same material (wall tux) as we had for the Madge mural, David was made into 3 strips carefully organized so that there would be no seams slicing him in half. The image would fill the entire void between window banks where our buffet used to be.
First, Mike and I applied the outer strips. Wall Tux has an adhesive back that you can re-position, but only to a certain point. And it’s not cheap! Install was nerve-wracking: we’re both on ladders, gingerly unpeeling the image from it’s backing and flattening any bubbles with a squeegee, trying not to let it stick to itself.
When it was done, we danced! Then I taped off the ceiling and cleaned up the Tomato Tango stripe that connects to the landing. Zones defined. Space elevated.
The things that speak to you aren’t phases you’ll grow out of, they are your fuel. Honor your inspirations. Blow them up. Build your life around them; you only get the one!
Next up: Tufty Time transports our living room into the lounge of our dreams, the old kitchen becomes the new living room, and the floors get refinished.