Aladdin Zayn
Aladdin Zayn
2013

Aladdin Zayn

50cm x 25cm

porcelain cast

Edition 7  + 1 AP


T
he iconic musician David Bowie's sixth studio album "Aladdin Sane" was publicly delivered on April 13, 1973; it surpassed the singer's previous records in popularity in the United Kingdom and the United States. A pun on the words "a lad insane" in its reference to a famous hero of The Book of One Thousand and One Nights, Bowie's new character succeeded his previous "Ziggy Stardust" pop culture persona. This fantasy individual's signature facial lightning bolt was explained to represented a duality of mind amidst an identity crisis. Now, Eric Esmail Parnes' sculpture "ALADDIN ZAYN" replica rolex majestically resurrects the immortal musical artist's vision by collaborating an actual cast of Bowie's head, integrating a traditional "droplet" Persian paisley origins, meaning "beauty." As a visual work, "Aladdin Zayn" (2013) is reminiscent of classical Greek or Roman sculpture yet signals contemporary and fresh imagery. In philosophical symbolism, the sculpture maintains cutting poignancy in its thoughtful testament to the ongoing history and influence of the perennial Middle Eastern presence in Western popular culture, and neo-oriental globalism on multiple levels. To note, the work was created, coincidentally but unintentionally, exactly four decades since the release of Bowie's Aladdin Sane.