“I knew Duffy’s work of course. Of all the ’60s photographers – who were all very good – for me what Duffy did was to be more creative. He didn’t just capture the moment – he invented the moment. I found him the most inventive of all those photographers. That’s what interested me.” – Derek Boshier
Taken by Duffy during the fourth of his Five Sessions with David Bowie in 1979 for the thirteenth studio album and final album of Bowie's 'Berlin trilogy' comprising of: 'Low' (1977), 'Heroes' (1977) and finally 'The Lodger' (1979). The cover art was a collaboration between Duffy and Bowie, with Derek Boshier tying the project together graphically. The album's gatefold graphics included Duffy's Experimental sink Polaroids and a behind-the-scenes studio shot. David's bandaged hand resulted from a coffee burn before the shoot. However, it perfectly suited the dramatic imagery.
Duffy meticulously created the falling man scene, using razor-sharp Kodachrome film to show all the minor details, like the objects falling from Bowie's pockets and water splashing in the sink. However, at the last minute, David decided to use a cropped version of a test Polaroid for the album cover instead. Duffy’s Experimental sink and one of the Lodger Set images were also included in the album’s gatefold, although his true version remained unseen until the release of Duffy Bowie: Five Sessions.
Our Standard Archival Quality Pigment Ink Prints come in two sizes: Standard and Gallery. All of our prints are ready to frame and supplied with a choice of black or white acid-free mount.
A Standard Square print has an image size of approximately 7.5″ x 7.5″ (19.05cm x 19.05cm) in a 12.4″ x 12.4″ (31.5cm x 31.5cm) mount. Our Standard size open-edition prints are the same size as a 12.4" vinyl album sleeve for convenient framing.
A Gallery Square print has an image size of approximately 12“ x 12" (31 cm x 31 cm) in a 19.75 “ x 19.75" (50 cm x 50 cm) mount. Our Gallery size open edition prints drop straight into 50cm x 50cm frames, which are available from many retailers.
High-quality black frames for Gallery prints can be made in-house for mainland UK orders. Please contact us if you would like a framed print, and a quote will be provided.
A mount is a paper-based border between the frame and the image. It adds an extra decorative element and also prevents the print from touching the glass or perspex of the frame. We supply two sizes of mount, in either square or landscape/portrait aperture, in black or white.
As with all our prints, each open edition is handmade, printed, assembled and packed at the Duffy Archive. Each print is embossed with the Duffy Archive stamp, and the reverse of each mount has a sticker detailing a brief history of the session and ink stamped with a logo from Duffy's camera cases.
The fascinating story behind this timeless session is fully documented in the Duffy Bowie Five Sessions Book told by those who were there.
Limited and Signed editions are available, to discuss options please Contact Us.

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