David Lynch, a distinguished American filmmaker and multidisciplinary artist who created dreams and nightmares of disturbing beauty and psychic horror, has died. He is 78 years old.
Lynch's family confirmed his death on Facebook, writing: "It is with deep regret that we, his family, announce the passing of David Lynch the man and artist. At this time we hope to preserve some Privacy. He's no longer with us, and there's a big hole in the world. But, as he says, "focus on the donut, not the hole." It was a beautiful day, with golden sunshine and blue skies all the way. "
No cause of death was given, but in the years before Lynch died, he had been battling emphysema, which he developed from years of smoking (a diagnosis he publicly revealed in 2024). The disease has kept Lynch at home most of the time because the risk of contracting Covid-19 or other viruses could exacerbate his health problems. However, he continued working, writing on Twitter at the time: "I am filled with happiness and I will never retire."
As a filmmaker, Lynch has honed and delivered a unique style that teeters on the edge of the real and the surreal. in masterpieces like this Eraserhead, blue velvet, mulholland driveand twin peaks (Two TV series and the 1992 film Fire walks with me) He plays with the mundane and the bizarre, balances brutal violence with pure love, and explores the supernatural and psychological depths. His work delights, confuses and horrifies viewers and rarely offers easy answers.
"They mean different things to different people," Lynch said of his films in a 1990 interview. rolling stones. "Some mean more or less the same thing to a lot of people. That's okay. As long as there's no one News, spoon-fed. This is what a film by committee ends up looking like, which to me is really disappointing. He added: "Life is very, very complicated, so movies should be allowed too." "
In addition to 10 feature films and television credits, Lynch has directed a range of commercials and music videos, including visual effects for artists including Nine Inch Nails, Moby and Interpol. A dedicated musician himself, he has released various solo and collaborative albums, including several with long-time songwriting partner Angelo Badalementi. An avid painter and visual artist, Lynch has exhibited his work around the world and spent nearly a decade drawing his own comics, The world's angriest dog.
David Keith Lnch was born on January 20, 1946, in Missoula, Montana, but spent much of his early life traveling around the country as his father was a research scientist for the Department of Agriculture . His parents also encouraged his artistic interests: He drew on reams of graph paper his father brought home from get off work, and says his mother "saved" him by refusing to give him coloring books because "the whole idea was to stay in Read between the lines.”
Yet while Lynch's childhood was by all accounts a peaceful and happy one - albeit one with many touches - he seemed to recognize and be fascinated by dark forces. A vivid exchange from 1990 RS During the interview, he recalled the bright smiles on people's faces in advertisements in the 1950s: "This is the way the world smiles." should is or Can yes. They really make me dream crazy. I really enjoyed the whole aspect of it. But I longed for something—not a disaster, but something unusual to happen. "
He added: "Once you're exposed to terrible things, and you see that there are really many, many, many things that are wrong - and that a lot of people are involved in weird and scary things - you start to worry about your peace, your happiness Lives will be disrupted. Lives may be lost or threatened. "
After high school, Lynch studied art in schools in Washington, D.C., and Boston, but gained little from these courses. He spent several years traveling in Europe, and upon his return moved to Philadelphia and studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Around the same time, Lynch married his first wife, Peggy, and gave birth to their daughter, Jennifer, in 1968.
Lynch describes his time in Philadelphia as both terrifying and inspiring. He lived in a house so close to the city morgue that Lynch once convinced the night guard to let him move around. Another house was robbed multiple times and a boy was murdered in another house on the block. "The feeling was very close to extreme danger and the fear was very intense," he said in his 2005 book. Lynch vs. Lynch. "There was violence, hatred and filth. But it was that city that had the biggest impact on my life."
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