JENNIFER ELSTER'S journeys with DAVID BOWIE
Photo by Christian Witkin
Jennifer Elster is a writer, artist, filmmaker, photographer, and performer known for offering a deep and direct awareness of the human condition and current world crisis. She is known for her performance artwork, art protests, and art exhibitions including “The Retrospective of an Extroverted Recluse” and “The Wake the F*ck Up Show”; transforming the late David Bowie into different characters, writing lyrics that Yoko Ono performed for Elster’s directorial, online, cinematic, experience “ItW Pathway”, which also featured Terrence Howard, Will Oldham, Temple Grandin, the late Glenn O’Brien, and others; as well as her activism work including writing a campaign with Gloria Steinem in support of net neutrality.
Under her activism banner, Nonpartisan Peace, Elster is currently focusing on bringing further awareness to COVID-19 and continuing to help protect the vote. Elster has been a performance artist since her teens in the underground art scene to more recent performances at the New Museum and galleries, such as signs and symbols, Catinca Tabacaru and The Development.
In this interview, she talks about her latest music releases and her current NYC pop-up exhibition at The Development featuring work from her 1995 collaboration with David Bowie on his album 1. Outside.
Interview by Tyler Nesler
Let's start with a general overview of how you collaborated with David Bowie for his 1995 album 1. Outside. The way I understand it conceptually, the album features sung/spoken tales of several outsider characters developed by Bowie and Brian Eno in spontaneous recording sessions. Then you worked as a stylist to bring those characters to life in a photo shoot featuring Bowie. How did this collaboration with him initially come about, and what were some immediate creative challenges for you when you began the project?
The album artwork for 1. Outside, to me, was a conceptual art project with several parties involved. At the time I was putting myself though NYU, focusing on writing and psychology, and trying to veer away from styling as I had fallen into it, and though I was natural at it, having brought characters to life since a child and always having a unique sense of style, it didn't fulfill my needs to express. I wanted to write. Then I got a call to work with Bowie from my agent routed through the photographer John Scarisbrick and I of course got sucked back in for another round. How could you not? Changes was the first album I personally ever owned, and Bowie was the first concert I went to when I was literally a child.
So Bowie called me. In our initial conversation, we spoke for over an hour. He and I went to deep, psychological places to flesh out the characters and to take them further. This happened right away, and it was obvious the artistic boundaries between us were limitless. He liked that and so did I. Afterwards he gave me instructions for our next conversation. He wanted to speak again. So we did and we continued to go further. That is why when you see the images of us together we appear so familiar with one another. That was not a fluke, or a posed, pretty picture, but a mutual understanding of mind sets through multiple gratifying conversations prior to the actual week long shoot in London.
I am a perfectionist, so the challenges were how to deliver on the level. That is in all that I do.
You've spoken of how you quickly connected with the character of Ramona, who you describe as a “Rawkler”, “a term I had created in the underground, art scene in NYC with friends.” In the song which features her, “Segue - Ramona A. Stone/I Am with Name,” the beginning of the lyrics go, “I was Ramona A. Stone/I started with no enemies of my own/I was an artiste/In a tunnel...” Could you describe the specifics of what so attracted you to this character — as she's presented both within the song and how you connected her personally to the people you've met over the years and to yourself directly?
I haven't paid attention to that song in some time. When I think about Ramona, I think of the conversations David and I had and what we created from his initial description, I don't think of the song.
Ramona was a favorite of mine. The desperation. The need. Somehow we both understood those channels, intensely. Ramona, to me, was born from scattered insanity. Needed protection. When I was young I lived in a building in New York City that was very dangerous. Ramona psychologically reminded me of the people you would find in the stairwells, at their wits end. I don't identify with those characteristics, but I remember them vividly. Ramona was also a character whose outward visualization had the most potential to go anywhere. It had no parameters. Just imagination.
Recently I wrote a song about when I met the wonderful James Brown, and there were similar overtures.
“Get Away From Me,” David Bowie styled as the character Ramona from the album 1. Outside - Paint and words by Jennifer Elster
What were some overall inspirations and creative intent with the styling of Bowie as Ramona in your canvas artwork “Get Away From Me?” (Featured in your current series of rotating window installations at Tribeca's The Development Gallery).
Protection. I cut the pieces that Bowie is wearing. I am known to be quite good with the scissors. Side smirk emoji. I also do a collection JElster.nyc where I cut all the pieces that make up an accessory collection. It's raw. Ravaged. And then on top of it there is armor.
In 2016 I included some images of me on set with Bowie as Ramona with a make-believe conversation in my solo art show “The Retrospective of An Extroverted Recluse.” Then in 2018 I did a solo art exhibition entitled “The Wake the F*ck Up Show” where words and paint were the focal point. So for 2021 it seemed fitting to bring Ramona into another dimension with paint and words as I did in “Get Away From Me”…as if an ongoing conversation.
Ramona is also attributed to Art Director Davide De Angelis and photographer John Scarisbrick. In what ways do you recall collaborating with them to bring out the striking look of Bowie in this (especially the mix of confrontation and almost a trace of fear or loathing I see on his face)?
It was a serious collaboration and we all played our part. Davide was very involved in the planning of all of the elements. He had been working with David prior and he was a part of and well-versed in the vision for the album artwork. John was the photographer and was highly sought after for his confrontational and energetic photo shoots. Everyone had respect for one another and gave one another space to do their jobs. On set we all came together with input. So it was an energy. One of the most valuable lessons I learned from Bowie was hire the right people to do a great job. That's what he did. And he did it with trust and respect.
“Double Peace,” Jennifer Elster and David Bowie (styled as the character “Baby Grace” from 1. Outside)
“Double Peace,” the other image featured in your The Development Gallery installation, depicts Bowie as the album's character “Baby Grace.” You've spoken of the instant natural rapport you both had when discussing your collaboration on this project, and of how with the Baby Grace character “I now see I made Bowie look like me, for no reason that I understand today.” But despite having no clear understanding of this, could you share any speculations or personal hints of why you both seem to merge identities so fluidly in this photograph?
I am a hoarder, so I had only found that photograph recently. It was not until I shared it online that I even noticed how similar he and I looked. There are other images I have shared on Instagram where he and I also meld. We were very comfortable with one another. At ease.
You've also recently released the new singles “C'mon Now Baby,” and “You Know What Will Happen,” with accompanying videos that were both created by you. These songs will be a part of your 2021 release of a full album, coinciding with a full exhibition at The Development Gallery later this year. What would you say are the creative connections to this music (lyrically, musically, and visually with the videos) and the work you did with Bowie twenty-five years ago?
The show in the Fall will include a web of my work spanning all mediums through the years right up to the day I open.
After the shoot was done Bowie let me keep everything, except he took a hoodie. I found the cut up piece Ramona wore in my last hoard bust. So along with the two works I will also share the cut up piece and the dress Baby Grace wore.
I hadn't thought of any correlations between my work of then and now as I am an artist who has worked incessantly since a child, so it is all part of the Jennifer Elster timeline. I wrote both songs and made both videos years ago, but I am a hoarder so it takes time for me to share. I am also often distracted because I am consumed with doing my part to shine a light on the scary realities of life, such as Covid-19, election security, injustice, inequality. However, when I did think of it, the themes I chose to put forward in the two artworks in the window exhibition are similar in sentiment to the first two songs from my album. Innocence and danger needing protection. “C'mon Now Baby” is an invitation of sorts to come together, “My garden is of love's wisdom. Let us not fear the walk. I am not just a woman, but a Woman. With life's deepest wisdom, from life's shivering realities, and I want you through and through. Let us feast. Let us be wary. In the ripest of times danger pursues. Extend. I tell you extend to your brothers and sisters, which is all of us together right now. We all need each other more than we know,” to “You Know What Will Happen” which is a warning, with all defense mechanisms readily available, “If you touch this, you know what will happen. You'll burn your fingers. Is that good? It's fire. If you cut me, you know what will happen, I'll cut you, I’ll cut you. Is that good? It's not good.” But behind both songs is someone who is worried. On one hand I want to bring everyone together, and on the other hand I am frightened of how awful some people can be.
The rotating window exhibition will be on view through August 2021 at The Development Gallery — 75 Leonard Street, Tribeca, NYC
“C’mon Now Baby” is a solo piece with singing and piano by Jennifer Elster
Jennifer is joined by her band on “You Know What Will Happen” — Mike Handelman on electric guitar, with Eimi Tanaku on piano, Bre Plaza on drums, and David Bronson on acoustic guitar and bass.
Check out ChannelELSTER to view the videos for the “C’mon Now Baby” and “You Know What Will Happen” and to see and listen to more artworks and music by Jennifer. Also check out @JenniferElster
You might also like our interviews with these artists:
Tyler Nesler is a New York City-based freelance writer and the Founder and Managing Editor of INTERLOCUTOR Magazine.
