David Lynch meditating in Moscow
Published 08 April, 2009, 16:52
One of the world’s most sophisticated blue-chip directors, David Lynch, has arrived in the Russian capital to present his artworks and a best-selling book, as well as to give a creative workshop for film students.
A director, painter, photographer, philosopher, sculptor, and writer, his reputation as a contemporary master of mystery and absurdity precedes him.
The cult author of Elephant Man, Twin Peaks, and Mulholland Drive, Lynch has been attracted by cinema almost as much as by painting and photography.
The first solo exhibition of his paintings opened 40 years ago in Philadelphia.
Since then, the unconventional artist has stayed faithful to his love of the canvas.
In 1970, he painted the entire floor of his house black to make a 34-minute animated film. 'The Grandmother' focused on a lonely boy who is permanently abused by his parents, and in order to find a way out, he plants a seed right in his bed which grows into his grandmother – the only person who loves him.
Some find David Lynch’s films disturbing, confusing, or even creepy. Others describe his art as weird, asking Lynch where he gets such crazy ideas.
Lynch told the press-conference in Moscow, “ideas in my mind always come from outside. For instance, I’m going down the street with no ideas. Then, suddenly, I’ve got an idea!”
Lynch has always been attracted by absurdity. He told RT the feeling of absurdity still strikes him as hard as, say, 40 years ago. “There are many absurd things in life and this thing of absurdity is very interesting.”
Has he ever tried to defeat this feeling?
“I don’t think it’s worth trying…," says Lynch, laughing out loud.
For years, he’s used cinema, painting, and photography as an outlet for his creativity.
Two years ago, he teamed up with trailblazing shoe designer Christian Louboutin in what’s been later hailed as “one of the most imaginative collaborations” in recent years.
Lynch asked the French designer to make shoes for his exhibition at the Cartier Foundation in Paris. Lynch photographed Crazy Horse dancers wearing nothing but Louboutin’s trademark shoes with a red sole and a 27-centimeter heel.
The exhibition, entitled Fetish, has arrived in Moscow, and is on display at Dasha Zhukova’s Garage Center for Contemporary Art until May 6.
On April 10, David Lynch has another exhibition organized by the Cartier Foundation opening in Moscow. 'The Air is on Fire' features Lynch’s art spanning almost 5 decades: up to 500 paintings, photography, drawings, short films, and moving pictures that he’s created since 1960. The exhibition runs until July 12 at the Ekaterina art gallery in conjunction with the international festival 'Fashion and style in photography.'
Lynch said it’s just a “huge coincidence” that two of his major exhibitions open in the Russian capital one after another. “I don’t know how it happened. Sometimes mother nature organizes things for us.”
The renowned director will also give a master-class to aspiring filmmakers. “I think school is very important. You can learn many intellectual and technical things there. You can get inspiration from other students. But whatever you learn in school, you verify by doing. The education continues the more you do something.”
On Friday, Lynch will also present his book, 'Catching the Big Fish: Meditation, consciousness and creativity.'
Lynch has been doing transcendent meditations for 36 years twice a day, and says he’s had “very good meditations in Russia.” He just returned from New York, where he took part in a benefit concert to raise money to teach transcendent meditations to 'at risk' youth all over the world.
“In the world, they say stress is hitting us at a younger and younger age. In some American schools, they give this meditation to teachers, students, staff. Violence stops within one year, relationships improve, and careers go up. Meditation is completely transforming the school. It’s an ocean of consciousness, intelligence, creativity, happiness, love, energy, and peace within all of us. When you experience it, your life becomes better.”
Valeria Paikova, RT
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