377 - David Lynch: The Art Life, United States, 2016. Dir. Jon Nguyen.

Friday, January 12, 2018

377 - David Lynch: The Art Life, United States, 2016.  Dir. Jon Nguyen.

David Lynch is a painter.

He started painting as a child.  He trained as a painter.  He worked hard at it.  He did it every day.  He continues to do it to this day.

David Lynch lives in a house in the Hollywood Hills.  His studio spills out of the house into the hillside.  He walks a path on the side of the hill to get from one part of the studio to the other.

The Southern California sun warms and lights the studio.  The patio.  As the paintings are painted by Grand Daddio.  His granddaughter playing cheerfully beside him.

Lynch slaps the slop on the slab.  He pulls at strange materials.  Stringy goopy goo.  To create three-dimensional pieces.  He animates them.  Adds sounds.  Video.  Audio.

Jon Nguyen and Jason S. have put together a lovely meditation on his life and art.

Jason S. works as Lynch's assistant.  He lives at his house.  He worked as the cinematographer of this film.  He would work with Lynch, and then when something would happen, he would film it.

Jon Nguyen directs.  He respects David.  As David reflects.

They have set up a microphone in the sun room.  With his amber lamp behind him. When Lynch is ready he goes and sits inside.  He takes his time.  He thinks.  Deliberates.  Remembers.

He shares.

And walks us through the stages of his childhood.  Growth and development.  What sounds like an idyllic life.  A solid family.  A house of love.

Missoula, Montana.  Sandpoint, Idaho.  Spokane, Washington.  Boise.  Alexandria, Virginia.  Nights in D.C.  A short run to Salzburg.  Time in Philadelphia.  And finally.  Los Angeles.

An American story.

An American man.

His voice is warm.  His accent distinct.  His heart open.  His movements are sure.

We see his own photographs.  We listen to his own music.  Both composed and played by him.  We watch home videos.  We watch him at work.  We see his work.  His paintings.  Many of them.

He smokes like a hickory pit.  They backlight him as he blows.  And the emanating fume diffuses the room like a permeating fog.

David Lynch works.

He works hard.  He works with ease but he works with a work ethic.  He talks about working hard even in junior high school.  Even as a freshman.  He knew he wanted to paint, and he rented a room in the studio of a friend's father.  He went after school and stayed late.  And the friend's father talked to his father to help him understand what he is doing.  David is not goofing off.  David is working.

So many people in the film industry are artists.  They have their job on set or in the office or in post, and then they have their other work, their other art.  They paint.  They draw.  They sculpt.  They write.  They take pictures.  They make things.

David Lynch is a painter.

Thank you for sharing this with us.  It is inspiring.  And it is good.