“I like to be surrounded by splendid things. I want to lead a Victorian life surrounded by exquisite clutter," said Freddie Mercury in 1978. The singer, who was approaching the apex of his early success as the lead singer of Queen, was reflecting on his passion for browsing art galleries and buying a house to store his extensive collection of clothes and furniture.
Nearly half a century later, his words are being brought to life. Following the 80th anniversary of his birth, the Queen frontman, who grew up in Zanzibar and India before settling in the UK with his family in 1964, is back in the spotlight at the Victoria and Albert Museum in South Kensington, London, which has curated a free, temporary trail displaying eight of his costumes.
© Getty ImagesSplendid Things
The exhibition, titled Splendid Things, celebrates Freddie's career through costumes and accessories worn in some of the most memorable music videos and pop performances of modern times. The show was developed with Mary Austin, Freddie's former fiancee and confidante of more than 20 years, who lent seven of the looks from her own private collection. "The V&A does not have many Freddie Mercury or Queen-related items in the collection.
"As [the museum holds] the National Collection of the Performing Arts, the V&A would love the opportunity to acquire more objects to celebrate Freddie’s artistic legacy and the cultural and global impact of the band and their music,” says Kate Bailey, senior curator of theatre and performance at the V&A.
The trail, which opened last weekend, features famous looks from across Freddie's career in the Seventies and Eighties, including “the dramatic and signature cloak-and-crown ensemble designed by Diana Moseley and worn on the Magic Tour in 1986, and the instantly recognisable ‘white-winged suit’ and ‘black spine suit’ designed by Wendy de Smet from 1975’s A Night at the Opera tour”, Kate says. In a first, both Diana and Wendy recently appeared at the V&A to share stories about the costume design and what it was like to work with Freddie.
© Denis O'ReganA 'reflection of playfulness'
The location of the pieces, which can be found in galleries including Paintings, Tapestries and Japan, was the subject of some consideration, Kate says. "We have selected six spaces that reflect Freddie’s playfulness but also his seriousness as a curious and interdisciplinary artist with a passion for art and collecting.
By his late teens, Freddie had lived on three different continents. His career would see him travel the world, fuelling an interest in global art and facilitating his love of ‘splendid things’.” The exhibition, which runs until 17 January, also features a sonic experience – "a spatial re-imagining of Bohemian Rhapsody" – created by the sound designer Gareth Fry.
Freddie, who lived close to the museum for most of his life, may have been inspired by the V&A, Kate suggests, “from working on a stall in Kensington Market and living in Garden Lodge [the property he bought in 1980 and lived in until his death, aged 45, in 1991] to performing early Queen gigs in Imperial College”. She adds: “The V&A is at the centre of these locations. I would like to think that the museum shaped his creative journey."
