We don't want to give it all away before our September launch, but here's a quick peek at the 'who and why' behind one of our amazing design savants.
What was your first rock concert? (You can plead the fifth if you don't want to cop to it!)Nina Hagen (the Mother of Punk) / Nun, Sex, Monk, Rock Tour / 1983
What was the first record you ever bought?B-52, first album with Rock Lobster
What inspired you to get involved in this project?Initially, the possibility of developing a scheme based on a music artist. The correlations between music and architecture have been topics of disertations and books and one that is clear to me. I love exploring the commonalities of the two and the idea that one can inspire the other and that music can be as 3 dimensional as architecture. Also, I believe that incorporating the music history of this site through design metaphor preserves Los Angeles history. History is something that everyone always says is missing in this incredible city but most often it is right underneath their noses.
Why David Bowie?
I chose Bowie because he is a true artist in the classic sense of the word. He developed his own musical language and hasn't been afraid to let it evolve while simulatneously never compromising his art. As Ziggy Stardust, he stepped into the world of performance art and allowed his music to take on a visual aspect that had not been fully explored by any artist before but which became the standard for most rock stars to come (Kiss, Iggy Pop, Alice Cooper, Marilyn Manson, etc., etc). More importantly his lyrics are insightful, poetic, and transformative. He worked with what he had been given (not typical) and changed how the world perceives a rock star/artist including young and old. Who can forget that duet with Bing Crosby?
