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As he closes his eye, he shifts from a grounded, Earth-bound identity—one yearning for adventure—into another self, one tethered to Mars. This new identity has already ventured beyond the familiar, perhaps even past the point of no return, both geographically and psychologically.
These transformations are shaped by symbolic objects embedded in his crown, each carrying biographical or metaphorical significance to Bowie’s life and legacy. The work’s visual elements draw inspiration from Bowie’s songs Width of a Circle, Ziggy Stardust, and Starman, which reflect the fluidity of identity, the search for belonging, and the journey through both earthly and celestial realms. In particular, the latter two songs’ lyrics are embedded within the artwork itself, adding layers of meaning that invite viewers to consider Bowie’s words as integral to the piece’s narrative.
Encircling him is a constellation of circular forms, each imbued with a meaningful gravitas tied to Bowie’s life. Gravity, by its very nature, shapes matter in space into spheres—an inevitability mirrored in these objects. As Einstein proved, gravity is woven from space and time, and as the viewer moves through both to engage with the work, they, in essence, generate the gravitational pull that lifts these forms into the air.
