One-club
men
The bromance behind
legendary nightclub
Studio 54 makes for a
surprisingly affecting docWe all know something about Studio 54.
Probably you’ve seen photos of Andy
Warhol, Truman Capote, Mick Jagger and
Grace Jones lolling about on the sofas at
the legendary nightclub on Manhatan’s
Upper West Side. Or you’ve seen that one
with Bianca Jagger on a horse.
You might even know that it was
created by Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager,
the later of whom now owns a slew of
luxury hotels across the world. But what66
Culture
‘Michael Jackson: Thriller (Black and White)’ by
Graham Dolphin will also be on showThe King of Pop Art
The National Portrait Gallery gives props to
Michael Jackson in its blockbusting new showThere is no way that the National
Portrait Gallery’s summer show is
not going to be a hit. For starters,
it’s about Michael Jackson, whose
endlessly replicated, manipulated
and dissected image is almost
as intriguing as his music. Also,
it features the works of some
phenomenal artists who have made
art featuring the King of Pop, from
Andy Warhol and Isa Genzken to
Graham Dolphin and Kehinde Wiley.
Then, it has been timed to coincide
with what would have been Jackson’s
60th birthday in August, when all
those single-gloved, fedora-sporting
diehards will be looking for ways to
pay homage. (And it’s called “Michael
Jackson: On the Wall”. Hats off!)
Of course, there’s lots to be said
about Jackson’s image — how he
used it publicly to blur boundaries of
sexuality and race in what could be
interpreted as acts of bravery or, by
some, of betrayal. And how he was
fascinated, and perhaps tortured, by
it in private — just two months before
his death from an overdose of
prescription drugs in 2009, 1,390personal items from Neverland Ranch
were auctioned, unearthing all kinds
of crazy portraits which he’d had
commissioned, from Jackson as
an Arthurian knight with Lisa Marie
Presley as his maiden, to Jackson as
Peter Pan, airbrushed on the hood
of a golf cart. Such art represented
a kind of wish fulfilment for Jackson,
or perhaps delusions writ large.
This show, which is organised
with the Jackson estate, will surely
concentrate on the fun side of the
Jackson story — the colours! the
creativity! the kitsch! — so don’t
come expecting any bubbles to be
burst. (Also, no Bubbles: none of the
four editions of Jeff Koons’ famous
ceramic sculpture of man and
chimp were available for the show.)
However, do expect an exploration
and celebration of an iconic figure
who continues to influence artists
of all generations all over the world.
—
Michael Jackson: On the Wall,
28 June to 21 October, The National
Portrait Gallery, London WC2H;
npg.org.uk