Image by Sasha Kargaltsev (via Wikimedia Commons)
As every movie buff has ever heard and lamented, we now… We lost a great American film director.. from eraser head to blue velvet to mulholland drive to inland empireDavid Lynch’s work will continue to baffle and inspire aspiring young writers for generations to come. (It seems that his adapted works are being reevaluated as well.) dunesa box office disaster that took him away from the Hollywood machine. ) But Lynch himself was never an ambitious young writer. In fact, he started his career as a painter, but this is just one of the many facets of his artistic being that we’ve covered over the years here at Open Culture.
Lynch studied painting at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in the mid-1960s, and Philadelphia’s urban decline at the time had a profound impact on the aesthetics of his paintings. eraser head10 years later, it made its name in the late night movie world. Just a few years later, when the MTV era began, he noticed his signature blend of the grotesque and the paranormal, something that would soon be called “Lynchian,” and attracted certain like-minded people. We discovered that there was a demand from recording artists. It was also around the same time that he began his side career as a cartoonist, or at any rate, a comic book writer, contributing works that were completely static, yet convincingly varied. the world’s angriest dog to LA leader From the early 80’s to the early 90’s.
1987, the year after the arthouse blockbuster. blue velvet The film, which caused what Guy Maddin later called “the last real earthquake in American cinema,” led Lynch to host a BBC television series on the history of surrealist film. This ultra-popular medium would be a surprisingly receptive venue for his highly idiosyncratic art. First he made commercials, then co-created the ABC mystery series with Mark Frost. twin peaksWhen it debuted in 1990, it virtually overtook American popular culture. (See also these video essays on the show’s production and meaning.) This phenomenon is not limited to the United States, as evidenced by Lynch’s continued directing of mini-films. season of twin peaks Commercial for canned coffee for the Japanese market.
flat mulholland drivethe picture considered by many to be Lynch’s best work, was conceived as a pilot for a television show. Shortly after its release, he published further works in serial form, including barbaric comics. dun brand and a homage to the disastrous sitcom rabbit (later incorporated inland empirehis last film). In the late 2000s, he announced: interview projecta documentary web series co-produced by his son. In the early ’20s, he released his first (but not last) solo music album. crazy clown time. In the same decade, photos of his old factories were exhibited, his organic coffee series appeared on the market, his autobiography was published and his master classes went online.
Lynch remained prolific during the 2020s coronavirus pandemic, posting Los Angeles weather forecasts from his home on his YouTube channel. In recent years, he announced that he would never retire, despite living together. case of emphysema It was so severe that he could no longer supervise in a traditional manner. He admitted that the paycheck comes from having been smoking since he was seven years old, but he also seemed to believe that every habit and choice in his life contributed to his work. Perhaps smoking played a role in inspiring him, as did his years of Transcendental Meditation practice and his daily milkshakes at Bob’s Big Boy, all of which he spoke openly about before his death. . But if there’s a special secret to his formidable creativity, it feels as if he’s bringing it home with him.
Related content:
twin peaks Explained in action: A 4-hour video essay explains it all
David Lynch teaches how to make quinoa in bizarre, surrealist video
David Lynch was a relentless maniac for 8 minutes and 30 seconds.
David Lynch explains why depression is the enemy of creativity and why meditation is the solution
David Lynch talks about the magic of film and meditation in new abstract short film
David Lynch tries to make a list of good things happening in the world, but it comes up blank
Angelo Badalamenti reveals how he composed this piece with David Lynch twin peaks“Love Theme”
Based in Seoul, Colin Mbemust write and broadcastIt’s about cities, languages ​​and cultures. His projects include the Substack newsletter books about cities and a book Stateless City: A Stroll Through Los Angeles in the 21st Century. Follow him on the social network formerly known as Twitter. @Colinbemust.
Source: Open Culture – www.openculture.com
