Leigh Bowery by Sue Tilley
A new edition of Sue Tilley’s classic biography of the man described by Boy George as ‘modern art on legs’, updated to include never-before-seen photographs and a new chapter reflecting on Bowery’s legacy.From his arrival in London in 1980, clutching a suitcase and sewing machine, to his death from AIDS in 1994, artist, performer, musician, club promoter and fashion designer Leigh Bowery led an extraordinary life.
Chronicled here with candid wit and affection, Leigh’s closest confidante Sue Tilley describes her best friend’s journey as a creative young gay kid growing up in the Melbourne suburbs who burst onto the vibrant London club scene of the 1980s and changed it forever. Brilliantly evoking the hedonistic energy of the city, Tilley’s personal account of her life with Leigh – their best mates, holidays, clubbing, drugs, outfits, flatmates and sex lives – paints a vivid picture of 80s pop culture through their friendship and love of a good time. She also offers irreverent anecdotes of the London art world, and particularly of Leigh’s close relationship with Lucian Freud, who painted Leigh many times from 1990 onwards; and concludes with a poignant and unsentimental recollection of Leigh’s final days in hospital.
Written with the full co-operation of his family and friends, including Charles Atlas, Rachel Auburn, Michael Clark, Lucian Freud, Jeffrey Hinton, Damien Hirst, Princess Julia, Cerith Wyn Evans and Baillie Walsh.
'A touching tribute of friendship, written with wit, verve and considerable charm' - Lynn Barber, Daily Telegraph
'A charming and raffish book, a fitting tribute to someone who lived fast, and died young and stayed pretty' - Chris Savage, Independent
'Like any good biographer, Sue Tilley resurrects all the tales we already know but are desperate to hear once more - Leigh's outrageous club Taboo, his outrageous creations, his outrageous behaviour, his outrageous performance art' - Richard Smith, Gay Times
'Sue Tilley's description of Bowery's cattiness, dysfunctional relationships and multitude of spiralling egos avoids making moral judgments, conveying instead the doomed romanticism of an era running on borrowed timeHer account is compulsive and heartfelt. All elegies should resonated like this' - Susan Corrigan, Esquire
'An unusually down-to-earth account of Bowery's larger-than-life, extravagant personality ... the story is a gripping one' - Roger Clark, Attitude
'A charming and raffish book, a fitting tribute to someone who lived fast, and died young and stayed pretty' - Chris Savage, Independent
'Like any good biographer, Sue Tilley resurrects all the tales we already know but are desperate to hear once more - Leigh's outrageous club Taboo, his outrageous creations, his outrageous behaviour, his outrageous performance art' - Richard Smith, Gay Times
'Sue Tilley's description of Bowery's cattiness, dysfunctional relationships and multitude of spiralling egos avoids making moral judgments, conveying instead the doomed romanticism of an era running on borrowed timeHer account is compulsive and heartfelt. All elegies should resonated like this' - Susan Corrigan, Esquire
'An unusually down-to-earth account of Bowery's larger-than-life, extravagant personality ... the story is a gripping one' - Roger Clark, Attitude
Sue Tilley (born 1957), also known as Big Sue, is an artist and artist's mode, most notably for Lucian Freud. She was Leigh Bowery's closest friend in London.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780500298558 |
| ISBN 10 | 0500298556 |
| Title | Leigh Bowery |
| Author | Sue Tilley |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Thames & Hudson Ltd |
| Year published | 2025-02-13 |
| Number of pages | 336 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |