Author Description

In 1972 David Bowie released the iconic LP The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, which established him as a major force in modern pop music. It was also his platform to present a visually fascinating and sexually ambivalent stage persona called Ziggy Stardust. Simultaneously, Bowie befriended the famed rock-and-roll photographer, Mick Rock, whom he invited to chronicle his Ziggy persona on film. Mick Rock amassed an amazing archive of footage that traces the entire stratospheric two-year career of Ziggy Stardust-from the early acclaim to the pivotal American tours, and the final blockbuster concert that marked Ziggy's retirement. Ziggy was a combination of extraordinary costumes, colorful makeup, outrageous hair, and-above all-first-class rock. More than 650 of Mick Rock's compelling pictures reflect his amazing collaboration-and friendship-with Bowie. The result of this incredible collaboration is a vast album of images of onstage performances and backstage antics. Together, David Bowie's text and Mick Rock's images trace the rise and final swansong of Ziggy Stardust.