Without decadence, the bulk of our most beloved rock icons would have dressed, behaved, and created very differently. This short-lived 19th century artistic and literary movement celebrated an aesthetic founded on an ideology of excess, hedonism and intentional artificiality employing a combination of juvenile humour, subtle eroticism, and scepticism to rupture Victorian conservative attitudes. A century later, this iconoclastic and yet strangely elitist group of writers, poets, and novelists would go on to inspire the creative world view of some of rocks most innovative performers, and none more so than the late great David Bowie.
In the 1890s, the decedent movement was burning with the utmost intensity in British culture, largely thanks to its iconoclastic and scandalous central figure, Oscar Wilde. Decadence rejected the didactic Victorian view that art should serve some moral purpose and instead celebrated the intense sensations that art and creativity invoked. This belief led to the formation of the central mantra at the heart of the decadent movement: Art for arts sake. This stance earned the likes of Oscar Wilde, Aubrey Beardsley and others a reputation for sexual and moral degeneracy, and, before long, the bright green flame of decadence was extinguished, leaving in its wake some of the most subversive worked of art and literature ever to emerge from the British isles, including Wildes The Picture Of Dorian Grey, and Beardsleys illustrations for The Yellow Book which itself was revered as something of a handbook by followers of the movement.
So how did this group of Fin de sicle artists inspire Bowie and his contemporaries? Well, in order to answer that question, its important to remember that it was only in the 1980s that decedent literature began appearing on the school syllabus. Such was the scandalous legacy of Wildes famed homosexuality. As Kate Hext, senior lecturer at the University of Exeter explained in the In Our Time podcast: The decedent movement wasnt part of the formal syllabus until the last couple of decades or so. And I think that allowed decadence and decedent writers to retain this image of bad boys and bad girls of literature. I think the fact that writers like Wilde werent claimed by the burgeoning English literature degree problem in the 1960s and 70s allowed them this sort of image as being outside the establishment.
For ambitious young creatives like Bowie, the likes of Wilde and Beardsley were inextricably linked to the notion of Bohemia. Their outsider status made them the perfect archetypes for the fledgling pop generation of the 60s and 70s providing a model of subversion in this tumultuous era of social and artistic upheaval. Bowies earliest incarnations especially his Ziggy Stardust alter ego saw him embrace not only the artifice of the decadent movement but also the dandyism of its most essential innovator, Oscar Wilde. While they belonged to completely different societies, their fashions served the same dual purpose: to draw attention to themselves and to undermine perceived gender norms.
Like the decedent writers and artists, Bowie also embraced popular culture while simultaneously treating it with contempt. While writers like Donald Firbank whose favourite record was, famously, Yes, we have no Bananas -found early jazz to be a well of inspiration, Bowie drew on everything from novelty records and music hall to funk and disco to shift his style into new and exciting directions. As Kext, notes, the Decedent writers embrace what other people would see as popular degenerate culture, using it as a means of exploring and expanding high art.
However, decedent artists often treated popular culture with disdain, Wilde especially. His work frequently celebrates elitism and spurns the mediocrity of the masses; portraying their culture as a den of sickness, rottenness, decay, and amorality. In this sense decadence, like rock, and, perhaps more obviously, punk, is founded on a self-devouring impulse. Perhaps the most prominent example of this paradoxical aesthetic Bowies work is his 1976 album Station to Station an album recorded when the star was living the sordid and strangely glamorous life of an archetypal Decedent man. In that album, he seems to recognise his own inflated ego, equating it to the bloated state of modern rock. In many ways, Station to Station is Bowies most Decadent record, painting a portrait of a man whose artistic pursuits look ridiculous when contrasted with the ongoing recession pulling the real world limb from limb, but who cannot quite detach himself a desire to escape that world and flee into a realm of fantasy.
Follow Far Out Magazine across our social channels, onFacebook,TwitterandInstagram.
Most popular
Originally posted here:
How the debauchery of the decadent movement inspired David Bowie - Far Out Magazine
- 10 best Reverse 1999 Arcanists to use and build - Sportskeeda - November 20th, 2023 [November 20th, 2023]
- The tightrope of 'Cabaret' - The Source - Washington University in St ... - Washington University in St. Louis - October 25th, 2023 [October 25th, 2023]
- Peter Schlesinger's Hedonistic Photos of Artists in 1970s Paris - AnOther Magazine - October 25th, 2023 [October 25th, 2023]
- Jonathan Baileys Long-Awaited New Drama Is Almost Upon Us Here's The Lowdown On Fellow Travelers - Yahoo Sport Australia - October 25th, 2023 [October 25th, 2023]
- Surusinghe 'Brake Fluid' EP review: every second hits as hard as a ... - NME - October 25th, 2023 [October 25th, 2023]
- Reformation Taps Model and Actress Camille Rowe for Holiday ... - Sourcing Journal - October 25th, 2023 [October 25th, 2023]
- Latest additions to the Halloween horror movie canon - Two Row Times - October 25th, 2023 [October 25th, 2023]
- Towa Bird Shares New Single And Video 'Drain Me!' - uDiscover Music - October 25th, 2023 [October 25th, 2023]
- We Asked AI to Rewrite the Eagles Hit "Hotel California" about ... - American Songwriter - October 25th, 2023 [October 25th, 2023]
- There's no such thing as normal mental health - The Medium - The Medium - October 25th, 2023 [October 25th, 2023]
- Use your voice, Luke: How Mark Hamill's anti-Jedi mind tricks gave ... - Salon - October 25th, 2023 [October 25th, 2023]
- Realms Of Ruin Finally Fixes A Major Problem With Warhammer ... - TheGamer - October 25th, 2023 [October 25th, 2023]
- Eric Nam and SG Lewis on Feeling Lonely and Getting Healthy - Interview - September 28th, 2023 [September 28th, 2023]
- Tom Ford Waxes Nostalgic and Prada Plays the Slime Card - The New York Times - September 28th, 2023 [September 28th, 2023]
- September Horoscopes - The New Paltz Oracle - SUNY The New Paltz Oracle - September 28th, 2023 [September 28th, 2023]
- Attracting Gen Z Workers and Future Leaders to Automotive - Ward's Auto - September 28th, 2023 [September 28th, 2023]
- C Pam Zhang on Relishing Pleasure, Observing Billionaires, and ... - Vanity Fair - September 28th, 2023 [September 28th, 2023]
- Paramount+: new shows and films streaming in October 2023 - ScreenHub - September 28th, 2023 [September 28th, 2023]
- At 2nd Debate, Rivals Laud Reagan, Trump Dances on His Grave - TIME - September 28th, 2023 [September 28th, 2023]
- Business is Key to Attaining Justice and Peace in the World - denvercatholic.org - September 28th, 2023 [September 28th, 2023]
- San Antonio filmmaker recalls time he recorded Jimmy Buffett ... - San Antonio Current - September 28th, 2023 [September 28th, 2023]
- The Will and Intensity of Marisol - frieze.com - September 28th, 2023 [September 28th, 2023]
- All Is (Boomer) Vanity - The American Conservative - September 28th, 2023 [September 28th, 2023]
- Slayyyter: STARFUCKER review - takes you on one hell of a night ... - The Line of Best Fit - September 28th, 2023 [September 28th, 2023]
- 10 Best Modern Movies Set in the 1990s - MovieWeb - September 28th, 2023 [September 28th, 2023]
- Condiments & sauces category propelled by natural colors and ... - Food Ingredients First - September 28th, 2023 [September 28th, 2023]
- Dumb Money director reveals fundamental difference with Wolf of ... - Dexerto - September 28th, 2023 [September 28th, 2023]
- How Janet Jackson, Lost in Translation, and Melbourne nights inspired Troye Sivan's new album - Yahoo Eurosport UK - September 28th, 2023 [September 28th, 2023]
- Outside the Box: Is Russell Brand a Victim of Groupie Culture? - Fair Observer - September 28th, 2023 [September 28th, 2023]
- Russia Lauds North Korea's 'Square-Headed Dude' and His Pauper ... - Center for European Policy Analysis - September 28th, 2023 [September 28th, 2023]
- Where to Watch and Stream 'Saw X': Showtimes - Collider - September 28th, 2023 [September 28th, 2023]
- Why I believe the question God, what is your will for my life? belies ... - Patheos - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Pleasure in the age of panic - Cherwell Online - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Dominique Larose: Northern Ballet's first soloist on bringing The ... - Luxury London - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Drew Barrymore reveals Kate Bosworth sent her flowers after ex Justin Long visited her show - Yahoo Entertainment - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Chris Holmes: I'm overlooked, sure. When I was in W.A.S.P., I was ... - Guitar World - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Sophie Ellis-Bextor on if she'd ever do Eurovision and her ... - NME - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- 10 Movies like The Social Network you must watch - Ready Steady Cut - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- The eternal paradox, and 'Quantum Criminals,' of Steely Dan - Wisconsin Public Radio - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Five Classic SF Novels Featuring Advanced Body Modifications - tor.com - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- From queer Westerns to Wes Anderson Here are HUNGER's most ... - Hunger TV - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- WGSN, Coloro Crown Moody Navy Alternative as 2025 Color of the Year - Yahoo Life - May 10th, 2023 [May 10th, 2023]
- Woo Girl Nails Life Balance For First Time Ever With Piss Up Friday ... - The Betoota Advocate - May 10th, 2023 [May 10th, 2023]
- Biden's Corruption Is What The Media Hoped For Trump - The Federalist - May 10th, 2023 [May 10th, 2023]
- Brandon Cronenberg Dives into the Deep End - FilmInk - May 10th, 2023 [May 10th, 2023]
- The 10 Best Movies of 1996, Ranked - Collider - May 10th, 2023 [May 10th, 2023]
- WFA: The Shits - Everything Is Noise - May 10th, 2023 [May 10th, 2023]
- 10 Things You Must Do On Your First Hedo Trip - Vacation Parties - January 23rd, 2023 [January 23rd, 2023]
- Epicurus | Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy - January 23rd, 2023 [January 23rd, 2023]
- An All-Nude Vacation With My Boyfriend Taught Me a Ton ... - SELF - January 19th, 2023 [January 19th, 2023]
- What to Expect at Hedonism | Hedonism II - December 21st, 2022 [December 21st, 2022]
- HEDONISM II: HOTWIFING HEAVEN - Hedonism II - November 25th, 2022 [November 25th, 2022]
- Disco - Wikipedia - November 25th, 2022 [November 25th, 2022]
- Hedonism Resorts - Wikipedia - October 30th, 2022 [October 30th, 2022]
- What Is Hedonism? An Ethics Explainer by The Ethics Centre - October 21st, 2022 [October 21st, 2022]
- Eudaimonia - Wikipedia - October 21st, 2022 [October 21st, 2022]
- 'The White Lotus' season 2 trailer brims with love, murder and a whole lot of hedonism - Alternative Press - October 8th, 2022 [October 8th, 2022]
- Reconsidering the Good Life - Boston Review - October 8th, 2022 [October 8th, 2022]
- Alcoholic Drinks and the Spectre of Stagflation; A Wile E. - Euromonitor International - October 8th, 2022 [October 8th, 2022]
- The Weeknd Brings Sex, Money, and Drugs to His New Series: The Idol - uDiscover Music - October 8th, 2022 [October 8th, 2022]
- 7 of the Best Rock Bands of the '70s - American Songwriter - October 8th, 2022 [October 8th, 2022]
- Yeah Yeah Yeahs, TV On The Radio, And More Featured In Meet Me In The Bathroom Trailer - uDiscover Music - October 8th, 2022 [October 8th, 2022]
- Is the new Porsche 911 GT3 RS the most extreme road car in history? - British GQ - October 8th, 2022 [October 8th, 2022]
- Charlies Good Tonight: Read an Exclusive Excerpt From the Authorized Biography of the Rolling Stones Late Drummer - Billboard - October 8th, 2022 [October 8th, 2022]
- Wreck cast on huge behind-the-scenes secret on BBC series: Can you imagine the chaos? - Express - October 8th, 2022 [October 8th, 2022]
- Four albums recorded in France and one song that should have been - The Connexion - October 8th, 2022 [October 8th, 2022]
- Twisted elegance: Janet Jacksons The Velvet Rope is a template for Black pop stars to embrace the darkness - TheGrio - October 8th, 2022 [October 8th, 2022]
- On the futility of modern bureaucratic states - Catholic Culture - October 8th, 2022 [October 8th, 2022]
- Fall is the time towards the cranberry secure - DU Express - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- 1st October Weekend in Osijek Was Full of Life - Trust Us, Head On East - Total Croatia News - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- LSD, Dolly's and a Rolls Royce car chase: How Bob Dylan and The Rolling Stones nearly came to blows - Far Out Magazine - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- I survived the sex, drugs, and misogyny of 90s Wall Street to make millions - New York Post - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- The Stars Advise: Dont Overdo It in Indulgence - astrosofa.com - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- Procera rolls out vintage gins - The Spirits Business - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- How To Watch 'Hellraiser' In The UK: Horror Film Reboot Set To Terrify Audiences - Bustle - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- Fresh blood brings new life to Interview with the Vampire - The Boston Globe - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- Why do bankers love techno? - The Spectator - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- Alice In Chains : Dirt - The heaviest grunge album at 30 | Treble - Treble - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- The simmering wickedness of Pentiment's dialogue is a delight - Eurogamer.net - September 7th, 2022 [September 7th, 2022]
- Gothic Gin Announced as Official Partner of Goodwood Revival - BevNET.com - September 7th, 2022 [September 7th, 2022]