Art

From another star: David Bowie

Very few people have had such a lasting impact on the world of music as David Bowie. Today he would have been 77 years old. We take a look back, into the future - and at a man whose life could fill more than two illustrated books.

Text
Marko Knab
Titelfoto
Warner Music / Andy Kent

"I'm not a prophet or a stone aged man, just a mortal with the potential of Superman. I live on," David Bowie once said. Big words - but they describe the Brit's life and work well and suggest certain prophetic abilities. Today, the chameleon of the music scene would have been 77 years old. His art still has an impact today. In the early 1970s, he played his way into the history of pop music with the epochal album "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars". And helped write it. So influential that it is also ripe for the museum.

In 2025, London's Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) plans to dedicate a permanent exhibition to the pop chameleon. With exhibits from an archive comprising 80,000 objects. These include handwritten texts, letters, sheet music, original costumes, fashion, films, music videos, stage sets, Bowie's instruments and amplifiers, album covers and prizes. There are also 70,000 photographs, prints, negatives, large-format slides and contact sheets from the most important photographers of the 20th century. Terry O'Neill, Brian Duffy and Helmut Newton are just three of them. So all Bowie fans - like us - will have to be patient for another year. Which is why we want to give you two illustrated books to tide you over.

Firstly, there is "David Bowie by Sukita". Masayoshi Sukita accompanied Bowie for decades and also wrote texts about their friendship for the book - and if you think the subtitle "Spectacular photos of a legend" is a bit pretentious, that's exactly what the book shows: The book shows exactly that. In 2015, the photographer was asked how it would feel to look at the old pictures of David Bowie. At the time, he replied: "I like to remember the wild times, but that's not the end. I want to keep photographing David Bowie." The pop icon died just one year later.

Credit: Warner Music / Sukita

And then there is Paul Duncan's book "The Man Who Fell to Earth", named after Nicolas Roeg's film of the same name, in which Bowie played his first - and in everyone's opinion best - leading role. It takes a look at Bowie's wild creative phase, which was characterised by extraterrestrial storytelling. It features a wealth of footage from the shoot by film photographer David James, with commentary from the director and, of course, Bowie himself.

1/4

A special edition will be released on 21 March to coincide with TASCHEN's 40th anniversary. Until then, we recommend simply getting in the mood with the collected albums. And let David Bowie live on in his art.

Shop now:

David Bowie by Sukita, Spektakuläre Fotos einer Legende. Delius Klasing. 29,90 Euro

Paul Duncan: David Bowie. The Man Who Fell to Earth. 40^th Edition. Taschen. 480 Seiten. 25 Euro

Marko Knab

Journalist & Photographer

Life writes the best stories - and Marko Knab tells them in text and picture form. His focus: people & their very own stories and cars, motorsports and travel stories. He already worked for Motorsport-Total.com while completing his Bachelor's degree in German Language, followed by a brief stint at a local daily newspaper and a Master's degree in literature and cultural theory - and ramp.

Our Bestsellers

The Porsche Book

100,00 EUR

An opulent and entertainingly informative coffee table book about the elite of automobiles – Porsche! It offers a comprehensive view of the brand's significance in pop culture and automotive history.
rampstyle #32 Stay Cool

20,00 EUR

A professional survival tip for beginners: If you become lost and a search is initiated for you: Stay put. This may sound simple, but it is not. In stressful situations, our brain releases a substantial amount of norepinephrine into the relevant receptors, which unfortunately significantly impairs cognitive function.
Mercedes-Benz Milestones

50,00 EUR

In the visually stunning coffee table book Mercedes-Benz Milestones, the ramp editorial team takes you on a journey through the history of the internationally coveted German car manufacturer.
BMW Milestones

50,00 EUR

The ultimate BMW guide: The icons of the car brand in a visually stunning coffee table book.
ramp #64 How About That!

20,00 EUR

Surprises open our eyes to new things, which now isn't really a big surprise. The unexpected simply stays in memory longer, sparks curiosity – and prompts action. Essential for adapting to a changing world. The future might just be warming up for progress. It's meant to move forward effectively.
ramp #65
Surfing Cowboys

20,00 EUR

If you think "Surfing Cowboys" refers to neoprene-clad prairie riders or surfers wearing cowboy hats, you're slightly off the mark in this case. In the latest issue of our Car.Culture.Magazine, it's about the meeting of two quintessentially American archetypes, both embodying a deep longing for lived independence and untamed, self-determined freedom.
rampstyle #31 Isn't That Something?

20,00 EUR

Focusing on the essentials, blocking out everything else... If you’re focused, you’ve already mastered one important key skill. In our multimodal world, focus is, unfortunately, a rather limited resource. In particularly focused moments, we forget all about time. But do we run the risk of developing tunnel vision? Does focus lose its power over time? Do we become habituated? Far from it. Unexpected surprises? Bring ‘em on!
ramp #63 Happy on the Road

20,00 EUR

Happy on the road? You bet. For any respectable car culture magazine, after all, being happy on the road is a mandatory prerequisite. Over time, and with a little bit of luck (which is, after all, a close relative of happiness), these feelings cheerfully blossom into an emotional foundation that ...
rampstyle #30 Blue Skies

20,00 EUR

After “All Summer Long” here’s our follow-up issue with the title “Blue Skies”. Of course. Because readers who know a little something about the English singer and songwriter Chris Rea will have already noticed how we’ve come full circle here. The blue sky as a symbol of hopeful optimism about what’s to come.
ramp #62 Wild Things

20,00 EUR

Just heading along, the journey itself a wonderfully blank page that presents itself to us with a cheerful unpredictability, as an inspired playing field for trial and error, for curiosity and spontaneity, unexpected surprises and flights of fancy. Wild and untamed. Just like life itself.
Director’s Cut: Luxury

125,00 EUR

Luxury is enticing and exciting, polarizing and provocative, not to mention that it is good for the economy. But the essence of luxury goes far beyond the material. Luxury appeals to our senses, our dreams and our desires. It immediately evokes images that are as precise as they are diverse. Luxury also triggers some pretty clear opinions – both favorable and unfavorable.
rampdesign: Success by Design

20,00 EUR

A design that makes all the difference? Always a nice task. An even more exciting task is the development of an attractive and desirable design that is derived coherently from the brand and which creates long-term brand awareness using a modern approach. Which makes it so important to come up with a design that differentiates and positions the brand effectively.
rampstyle #29 All Summer Long

20,00 EUR

Barcelona in summer. With Alvaro Soler - and a Porsche 911 SC. An approach to the phenomenon and the person Yves Saint Laurent. We spoke with Udo Kier in Palm Springs, and Luc Donckerwolke in his garage. And then there's the cover - and the associated story of House of Spoils.
Porsche 911 Everlasting Love Stories

99,00 EUR

Sixty years of the Porsche 911 – sixty years that stand for very personal, highly emotional relationships of love involving this sports car. Stories marked by love, lust and passion. Captured in this high-quality illustrated book.
ramp #61 Love Is in the Air

20,00 EUR

Blue skies, the scent of fresh grass, the warmth of the moment – but above all: sunshine. The light of the sun’s rays, scientists say, is the decisive factor at the beginning of the warm season that triggers the merry mix of happiness hormones which energetically drive us headlong into the summer.
rampstyle #27
By the Way

20,00 EUR

Did you know that between thirty and fifty percent of all scientific discoveries are the result of coincidence? Velcro, Viagra, X-rays – sometimes people find things without even looking for them, but they are rewarded with an unexpected alternative.
rampstyle #28 Into the Great Wide Open

20,00 EUR

An exclusive fashion editorial with Tim Bendzko. Unseen pictures by photographer Anouk Masson Krantz. A conversation with star director Guy Ritchie and a somewhat different interview with musician Dan Auerbach. All this and much more awaits you in this issue of rampstyle.
Director’s Cut: The Lamborghini Book

100,00 EUR

Author texts, expert interviews and aesthetically pleasing imagery do the brand justice in all aspects and make the book a must-have for all car fans and Lamborghini enthusiasts. Alongside exclusive design sketches, an overview of all series models with full technical specifications completes this extraordinary and ambitious book project.
The Lamborghini Book

100,00 EUR

Author texts, expert interviews and aesthetically pleasing imagery do the brand justice in all aspects and make the book a must-have for all car fans and Lamborghini enthusiasts. An overview of all series models with full technical specifications completes this extraordinary and ambitious book project.
ramp #60 Too Cool to Handle.

20,00 EUR

A magazine about coolness? Among other things. But one thing at a time. First of all, it’s off to the movies. There’s this businessman from Boston who helps relieve a bank of a substantial amount of money. The insurance companies are on to him, but they can’t prove a thing. That, in a nutshell, is the plot of...
ramp #59 Tomorrow Is Yesterday

18,00 EUR

“Tomorrow Is Yesterday” was the title of an episode of the television series Star Trek, and although it was the nineteenth episode overall, it was the first to flicker into German living rooms fifty years ago this May. The story revolved around timelines and time travel.
rampstyle #26 Good News

15,00 EUR

Two thin ovals far up inside a circle, a curved arc below, sketched on sunny yellow. In a split second, our brain has combined the elements into a smiling face, instantly putting us in a good mood. Wonderful! A smiley like that just feels good.
Men’s manual - Best of rampstyle by Michael Köckritz

29,00 EUR

Existential questions are answered here: How do I build the perfect sandcastle? How do I start a band? Is there a perfect record player? (Spoiler Alert: yes, there is). Men´s manual is a supergroup of sorts: ramp and teNeues throw together their concentrated expertise in lifestyle.
The Porsche Book

100,00 EUR

An opulent and entertainingly informative coffee table book about the elite of automobiles – Porsche! It offers a comprehensive view of the brand's significance in pop culture and automotive history.
rampstyle #32 Stay Cool

20,00 EUR

A professional survival tip for beginners: If you become lost and a search is initiated for you: Stay put. This may sound simple, but it is not. In stressful situations, our brain releases a substantial amount of norepinephrine into the relevant receptors, which unfortunately significantly impairs cognitive function.
Mercedes-Benz Milestones

50,00 EUR

In the visually stunning coffee table book Mercedes-Benz Milestones, the ramp editorial team takes you on a journey through the history of the internationally coveted German car manufacturer.
BMW Milestones

50,00 EUR

The ultimate BMW guide: The icons of the car brand in a visually stunning coffee table book.
ramp #64 How About That!

20,00 EUR

Surprises open our eyes to new things, which now isn't really a big surprise. The unexpected simply stays in memory longer, sparks curiosity – and prompts action. Essential for adapting to a changing world. The future might just be warming up for progress. It's meant to move forward effectively.
ramp #65
Surfing Cowboys

20,00 EUR

If you think "Surfing Cowboys" refers to neoprene-clad prairie riders or surfers wearing cowboy hats, you're slightly off the mark in this case. In the latest issue of our Car.Culture.Magazine, it's about the meeting of two quintessentially American archetypes, both embodying a deep longing for lived independence and untamed, self-determined freedom.
rampstyle #31 Isn't That Something?

20,00 EUR

Focusing on the essentials, blocking out everything else... If you’re focused, you’ve already mastered one important key skill. In our multimodal world, focus is, unfortunately, a rather limited resource. In particularly focused moments, we forget all about time. But do we run the risk of developing tunnel vision? Does focus lose its power over time? Do we become habituated? Far from it. Unexpected surprises? Bring ‘em on!
ramp #63 Happy on the Road

20,00 EUR

Happy on the road? You bet. For any respectable car culture magazine, after all, being happy on the road is a mandatory prerequisite. Over time, and with a little bit of luck (which is, after all, a close relative of happiness), these feelings cheerfully blossom into an emotional foundation that ...
rampstyle #30 Blue Skies

20,00 EUR

After “All Summer Long” here’s our follow-up issue with the title “Blue Skies”. Of course. Because readers who know a little something about the English singer and songwriter Chris Rea will have already noticed how we’ve come full circle here. The blue sky as a symbol of hopeful optimism about what’s to come.
ramp #62 Wild Things

20,00 EUR

Just heading along, the journey itself a wonderfully blank page that presents itself to us with a cheerful unpredictability, as an inspired playing field for trial and error, for curiosity and spontaneity, unexpected surprises and flights of fancy. Wild and untamed. Just like life itself.
Director’s Cut: Luxury

125,00 EUR

Luxury is enticing and exciting, polarizing and provocative, not to mention that it is good for the economy. But the essence of luxury goes far beyond the material. Luxury appeals to our senses, our dreams and our desires. It immediately evokes images that are as precise as they are diverse. Luxury also triggers some pretty clear opinions – both favorable and unfavorable.
rampdesign: Success by Design

20,00 EUR

A design that makes all the difference? Always a nice task. An even more exciting task is the development of an attractive and desirable design that is derived coherently from the brand and which creates long-term brand awareness using a modern approach. Which makes it so important to come up with a design that differentiates and positions the brand effectively.
rampstyle #29 All Summer Long

20,00 EUR

Barcelona in summer. With Alvaro Soler - and a Porsche 911 SC. An approach to the phenomenon and the person Yves Saint Laurent. We spoke with Udo Kier in Palm Springs, and Luc Donckerwolke in his garage. And then there's the cover - and the associated story of House of Spoils.
Porsche 911 Everlasting Love Stories

99,00 EUR

Sixty years of the Porsche 911 – sixty years that stand for very personal, highly emotional relationships of love involving this sports car. Stories marked by love, lust and passion. Captured in this high-quality illustrated book.
ramp #61 Love Is in the Air

20,00 EUR

Blue skies, the scent of fresh grass, the warmth of the moment – but above all: sunshine. The light of the sun’s rays, scientists say, is the decisive factor at the beginning of the warm season that triggers the merry mix of happiness hormones which energetically drive us headlong into the summer.
rampstyle #27
By the Way

20,00 EUR

Did you know that between thirty and fifty percent of all scientific discoveries are the result of coincidence? Velcro, Viagra, X-rays – sometimes people find things without even looking for them, but they are rewarded with an unexpected alternative.
rampstyle #28 Into the Great Wide Open

20,00 EUR

An exclusive fashion editorial with Tim Bendzko. Unseen pictures by photographer Anouk Masson Krantz. A conversation with star director Guy Ritchie and a somewhat different interview with musician Dan Auerbach. All this and much more awaits you in this issue of rampstyle.
Director’s Cut: The Lamborghini Book

100,00 EUR

Author texts, expert interviews and aesthetically pleasing imagery do the brand justice in all aspects and make the book a must-have for all car fans and Lamborghini enthusiasts. Alongside exclusive design sketches, an overview of all series models with full technical specifications completes this extraordinary and ambitious book project.
The Lamborghini Book

100,00 EUR

Author texts, expert interviews and aesthetically pleasing imagery do the brand justice in all aspects and make the book a must-have for all car fans and Lamborghini enthusiasts. An overview of all series models with full technical specifications completes this extraordinary and ambitious book project.
ramp #60 Too Cool to Handle.

20,00 EUR

A magazine about coolness? Among other things. But one thing at a time. First of all, it’s off to the movies. There’s this businessman from Boston who helps relieve a bank of a substantial amount of money. The insurance companies are on to him, but they can’t prove a thing. That, in a nutshell, is the plot of...
ramp #59 Tomorrow Is Yesterday

18,00 EUR

“Tomorrow Is Yesterday” was the title of an episode of the television series Star Trek, and although it was the nineteenth episode overall, it was the first to flicker into German living rooms fifty years ago this May. The story revolved around timelines and time travel.
rampstyle #26 Good News

15,00 EUR

Two thin ovals far up inside a circle, a curved arc below, sketched on sunny yellow. In a split second, our brain has combined the elements into a smiling face, instantly putting us in a good mood. Wonderful! A smiley like that just feels good.
Men’s manual - Best of rampstyle by Michael Köckritz

29,00 EUR

Existential questions are answered here: How do I build the perfect sandcastle? How do I start a band? Is there a perfect record player? (Spoiler Alert: yes, there is). Men´s manual is a supergroup of sorts: ramp and teNeues throw together their concentrated expertise in lifestyle.