in .
David Lyon would argue that the social conditions of postmodernity are partially dominated by consumerism and its dominant role within modern society . Our new-found emphasis upon image and consumer-oriented identity can be seen clearly within Bowie ' s character throughout the 1970 ’ s . Lyon describes this as the ' plastic self ' whereby the individual makes their identity flexible in order to experience as much as possible . This can be read through the context Bowie ' s ever-changing persona throughout the turbulent periods of his career . He was able to gain invaluable experiences by adapting and moulding his identity into whatever it needed to be to exert the knowledge or pleasure needed to create one album to the next . However , I would argue that during his time in Berlin , Bowie was exploring more of his ' expressive self ' in an attempt to seek authenticity and the completion of the inner- narrative that Lyon discusses above . This combination coaxes one ’ s identity to the forefront in order to face up to a question with a definite answer . It is evident in Bowie ' s character or rather , his multiple performative personas ( Ziggy Stardust , Major Tom , The Thin White Duke , to name but a few ) that he was exhilarated by the freedom granted to him as an individual who is able to construct his own identity . 12 However , it may have been a huge source of anxiety as Bowie may not have been entirely sure of who he was on a deeper level . Perhaps the stripping away of his rock star bravado was his attempt to find more of David Jones within David Bowie . David Bowie is the postmodern man epitomised . His identity fits almost perfectly into its framework . He was never constrained by his identity and would often change it at will – which is reflective of postmodernity and how it is composed of various cultures .
12 Sean Redmond , Enchanting David Bowie ( Bloomsbury Publishing Plc , 2015 ).