Aladdin Sane (yellow)
Aladdin Sane (yellow)
Signed Print
Invader
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43 x 43cm, Edition of 65, Screenprint
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Meaning & Analysis
This signed screen print from 2014 is a limited edition of 65 from Invader’s Aladdin Sane series. It shows one of Invader’s famous Space Invader characters, through which the artist has reached world-fame, masked in the guise of singer David Bowie.
This signed screen print from 2014 is a limited edition of 65 from Invader’s Aladdin Sane series. It shows one of Invader’s famous Space Invader characters, through which the artist has reached world-fame, masked in the guise of singer David Bowie.
Both the name of the print and the stark red and blue lightning bolt featuring on the yellow background of the Space Invader make explicit the reference to Bowie’s Aladdin Sane cover album shot by Brian Duffy. In the cover, Bowie is represented in what has become his most iconic and easily recognisable portrayal. Here, Invader maintains the distinctive feature of the photograph and translates it visually into an 8-bit Space Invader, now characteristic of the artist's artistic repertoire and style. The largely pixelated bits of the image deconstruct Bowie’s original portrait to adapt it to Invader’s investigation into popular culture, operated through an exploration of a digital stylistic vocabulary.
Thus, the four works in the Aladdin Sane series reflect Invader’s desire to explore and engage with the iconic imagery of the modern era. In the print, which also comes in orange, blue and pink, Invader once again reappropriates iconic imagery and produces playful images. Simultaneously, however, the print operates a sustained inquiry on behalf of the artist within the digital world and its aesthetic languages.
Anonymous street artist Invader adopted his pseudonym from the 1978 arcade game, Space Invaders, and has continually paid homage to retro, 8-bit video games throughout his career. His work has evolved from the original Space Invader motif since the early 2000s, with other icons such as Pac-Man, Pink Panther and even the Rubik’s Cube becoming staples in his imagery. Invading urban landscapes with his distinctive pixelated mosaic creations, Invader transcends the boundaries of traditional street art by combining playful nostalgia with an urban twist. His unique fusion of retro aesthetics and contemporary commentary has solidified his place in the global art scene.
