No reason to talk about anything in the arts today unless it relates to David Lynch. Many are doing so. I heard a voice from vulture magazine talking about the Lynch’s work champions the individual in the face of a society which is inescapably corrupt. The observation does not resonate with me. In fact, it sounds like tired old liberal manure. First, giving a succinct rational explanation of his “themes” runs counter to his embrace of ambiguity and intuition. And second, the social is never more than a collection of individuals which means the small towns are as corrupt as the large cities in his work. The dream life that his camera eye finds so fascinating contains multitudes, contradictions, and black rivers running from crystal springs.
So here’s a clip from David Lynch: The Art Life that I particularly like on the importance of the unstructured in making art.
And here’s a clip of (my close personal friend) John Cleese talking about creativity in similar terms.
Jedediah Smith 