There is a name you will hear in artist’s circles that sticks in your head. It’s punchy and it creates an image before you even know who it belongs to.
The name is David Lynch. It’s a name that is tossed around often for mentions of the ‘auteur’ and the ‘abstract’ film. It’s a name that will perk up the ears of many a devoted fan. But what has Lynch done? Why does his name hold such weight?
Well, first we should look at some examples of his work over his long and prosperous career.
Lynch began as a painter, but had a lingering question: could paintings move? He began experimenting directly with moving paintings with the short film Six Men Getting Sick (Six Times), but the logical next step was to make films in the more traditional sense (as traditional as Lynch can get). He created multiple short films such as The Grandmother and The Amputee before releasing what would be his break into the film world and his first hit.
Eraserhead is the fan-favourite Lynch film. It showcases all the eccentricities that became typical in his later work, but to an unhinged degree. Lynch made this film with very little money and no guarantee that it would ever be shown in a theater. Luckily, the film found a home in the midst of the ‘midnight movie’ craze, where theaters would show more experimental films in the evening. Eraserhead showcased what made Lynch a groundbreaking director, which was his work as an artistic translator. He effectively appropriated the surrealism of his paintings and translated it into a new medium: film. By doing this, he showed movie-goers a new way of making and looking at the moving image, making space for all the artists who would follow his footsteps.
My first introduction to Lynch – similar to many others – was through the show Twin Peaks. Twin Peaks was a show that ran from 1990 to 2017. It spanned three seasons, the first two coming out in 1990 and 1991 (with a film in 1992), and the third and final coming out in 2017. My dad had watched this show as a young adult and thought I would like it too. Well, boy I did.
The show follows FBI agent Dale Cooper trying to uncover the mystery of who killed Laura Palmer. Its atmosphere is so original and it has inspired countless songs, video games, and every other kind of media you can think of. Think of a piece of media you like, and it probably has taken some inspiration from Twin Peaks. Notable examples include The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, Silent Hill, The Sopranos, Gravity Falls (on which he was originally cast as Bill Cipher), the band Surf Curse, and an entire David Bowie album, Outside.
There have also been numerous references to the show, like a wonderfully hilarious sesame street segment.
With the commercial success of Twin Peaks, Lynch was catapulted into fame.
He used this fame to make more experimental films which continued to be incredibly popular for their bizarre content. Lynch was almost like the black sheep of Hollywood, working with popular actors like Naomi Watts and Anthony Hopkins, but still maintaining his typical artistic style. He never conceded, never stopped being entirely himself. Lynch did as he pleased, as is seen by his numerous stunts, such as renting a cow and planting it on the sidewalk in order to campaign for Laura Dern (the actress who starred in his film, Inland Empire), or making a Netflix original short featuring Lynch interrogating a monkey named Jack (in What did Jack do?).
This is the sort of spirit that resonates with many modern artists. Lynch made the art he wanted to make, bottom line. Each film he made was uniquely Lynch-flavoured and the artists he worked with and inspired throughout his career respected such an attitude.
On January 15th, Lynch unfortunately passed away. As this news circulated online, every media outlet I was plugged into was filled with the artists I loved, mourning his loss and celebrating his art. Lynch’s impact on art as a whole is clear in the artists he has inspired. Lynch and his work will be talked about for decades, and I guarantee that the next artist who creates something that inspires you, has in some way been touched by his world.
So rest in peace to a damn fine man.
Now go watch Twin Peaks.
1 Mulderrig, M., “Feature: The Midnight Movie and Nocturnal Participation”. MXDWN (2021, December 25). https://movies.mxdwn.com/feature/feature-the-midnight-movie-and-nocturnal-participation/
.png){kind=small}
