The desperate scream that reverberates from the eyes of the “I Touch a Red Button Man,” encloses the tension of an entire lost generation in search for something. Chasing that moment to seize, freeze framing the passing of time. Looking out for those loved ones to protect, those convictions to uphold, our own selves to save. This is a video Lynch has written in collaboration with the group Interpol, in view of their performance at the 2011 Coachella Festival.
The lyrics of ‘Lights‘, the music for the video, is absolutely fused into the images, which echo into an unstoppable drift pouring out from the protagonist’s eyes. It is hard not to draw a parallel between that alienated look and Lynch’s own blind stare, as captured by Richard Dumas in the flier of the retrospective for the filmmaker, photographer, author, actor, composer and ultimately man.
Through “Small Stories” the exhibition currently on display at Cinema Galeries in Brussels until the 1st of March 2015, Lynch imposes us an exercise. We are asked to look within and outside ourselves to rediscover who we are. The double-dimensional gaze carries the same surrealistic notes as the work on display. A tracking shot of “The Essential Lynch” which projects us into his universe, cold and merciless as American highways, a recurring theme of his movies. Where are they driving us? What will this endless journey at the end of the night, be?
To introduce the exhibition, Lynch focused on its adjective. These ‘small’ stories enclose the essence of his dimension, the one he has been telling through his art and which springs out from these images. The subtle reference to de Chirico and Magritte is intertwined with the otherworldly and superhuman dimension that make up his spiritual core.
One thing is for sure: Lynch does not care about using conventional and established means; he looks beyond and truly does so. His art always pushed him to look ahead and on the far side, embodying his artistic genius. The journey he invites us on is inside his world and into ours.
He lends us his lens, through which we uncover a disturbing universe that we recognise so well. Complete surrender is the condition to interpret and grasp this reality. Floating in this lunar galaxy, perfect set to ‘The Labyrinth Man’, and his true essence. What do we gain by accepting this bet? The artist does not commit to anything. However, these small stories have a common theme: decay, a gangrene, something death-like, abhorred by men.
If we take a closer look, we find out that deep inside this wound is the very origin of our life. Primordial is the call of faraway worlds, of lives waiting to be born and to transform. Today’s pain is yesterday’s joy, what made us happy and filled our lives with meaning. How can we not feel love for this sorrow, which makes us feel so alive?
We rediscover ourselves, our roots, digging deep with eyes and nails in the dimension of our reality.
“All that I see-Peaceful lives run away from me -We would like to take the sights- That’s why I hold you….“
from “Lights” by Interpol.
Didascalie immagini
- David Lynch fotografato da Richard Dumas, particolare sulla locandina del Cinéma Galeries
- David Lynch, Interior 11
- David Lynch, Hello my name is
In copertina:
David Lynch fotografato da Richard Dumas, particolare sulla locandina del Cinéma Galeries