David Lynch  Its important to go out and feel the so called reality
Lynch was born in Montana and grew up in various parts of the white picket fence middle America he would later interrogate in his films. He studied painting in Philadelphia before making a transition to experimental cinema. His 1977 debut, Eraserhead, became a cult classic and paved the way for The Elephant Man, which was nominated for eight Oscars, and a big budget adaptation of Dune, a painful flop on its release in 1984. Over time Lynchs films have become increasingly oblique, culminating in the fractured fever dream of Inland Empire  2006 , though his 1999 road movie, The Straight Story, was unexpectedly linear and tender hearted, steering clear of the violence and depravity that marks much of his work.
Lynch hasnt directed a film in 13 years, and its not clear whether hell ever go back to Hollywood, though his 18 episode return to Twin Peaks in 2017 threw up enough mysteries to keep his diehard fans occupied for years to come. On a video link from his Los Angeles home, Lynch – dressed in a trademark black shirt and full of beans after a mornings meditation and coffee drinking – discussed some of the more outlandish responses to Twin Peaks, as well as Brexit, his love of factories, and why the chickens are coming home to roost for America.
My participation is paintings, drawings, lithographs and some sculpture. Theyve done a great job hanging the show – its going to look very sharp. And then my friend Chrysta Bell [the Texan musician who plays FBI agent Tammy Preston in Twin Peaks: The Return] is going to be there with some music [hosting live performances by Anna Calvi, These New Puritans and Hatis Noit].
Theres a cinema section too, including films that have influenced you over the years, such as 8½, The Wizard of Oz, Sunset Boulevard. Why are these important to you?
Federico Fellini is one of the all time great film makers and 8½ is maybe my favourite of his – I did a whole series of lithographs based on the last scenes in that movie. The Wizard of Oz is a cosmic film and meaningful on many, many different levels, and Somewhere Over the Rainbow is one of the most beautiful songs ever. And I deeply love Sunset Boulevard for how it captures the golden age of Hollywood and its fall. Its just a great Hollywood story.
According to the press notes, some of your artworks in the show are inspired by Manchesters industrial history.
I dont know about that. I went to northern England in the 90s on a search for factories, because I love to photograph factories and I always heard that northern England had the ultimate factories. Even though Ive never been a factory worker, for some reason I just love the idea of smokestacks, fire, the brick, the narrow streets, the whole factory life. But the trip was very depressing, because when I got up there it was really too late. They were tearing down a smokestack a week and the old factories were disappearing, replaced by pathetic, corrugated metal buildings, with cows in the fields where the factories once were. I guess its good for the environment but its bad for photography, Ill tell you that.
Well, as you know if you ever fished, you have to have patience – some days you catch some, some days you dont. I am fishing now, and Im gathering fish together, but I havent started cooking them. Right now, Id say the ideas are in the world of sculpture and painting.
Do have everything you need at home to make work, to the point that you dont really need to leave?
Ive got everything. Though I would like to have a giant soundstage, and much more room for storage and building – a mini studio. But now, thanks to the digital world, its becoming possible to build an entire world right at your desk.
Is that a good thing, even if it means going out into the world less?
I dont like going out anyway. I like to stay at home. Of course I do think its important sometimes to go out and see new things and feel the so called reality. And that can conjure ideas. But I think human beings can sense the air and feel whats going on in the world without going out. I havent been over to England recently, but I can feel this Brexit thing, I can feel the torment. Its a deeply strange situation. Nobody really thought youd want to exit [the EU]. It is a terrible disaster. Totally nuts… And I can feel in the world, there are many, many gigantic problems.
Do you feel that were living in particularly dark times?
No, I feel weve been in very dark times and much better times are coming. The thing is, bad news sells, frightening things sell, sensationalism sells. So we dont hear all the good news thats happening, because it seems kind of boring. But I think there are so many good things happening, and people thinking and inventing. I think the futures looking very bright.
Even in the US, where theres so much concern about political divisions and inequality?
I think, in a way, the chickens are coming home to roost for America. I dont know what percentage [of people] are working towards making it better, but theres a huge percentage thats being diverted into escape, into sports or movies or music, into drugs. The drugs have ruined so much.
Do you see it as your role as an artist and a film maker to counteract this in some way, to shake people up?
Absolutely not, because then you end up making a message film. You see, I get ideas in fragments, and only when a bunch of fragments come together I say: Oh, this is about this, or this could be about this. But theres absolutely no message, no steering anyone any which way. I just love the idea. I want to realise them because Im in love with them.
Many times. I dont know where any of them come from. Thats why I dont think I can take credit for anything Ive ever done. Theyre all little gifts and they string themselves together, and stories come out or a painting comes out. They just come into your head and its like Christmas morning.
Was Twin Peaks: The Return a fulfilling experience for you?
I loved every minute of it. [I had] the greatest cast and crew, and we had a great time going down the road together. If wed waited a few more years, it never would have happened.
Because so many cast members [including Miguel Ferrer and Peggy Lipton] have died since you filmed it?
Yes, and its a terrible thing. I mean, I dont know how we human beings can – you just have someone thats a great friend, and you want to work with them, and suddenly theyre gone. And you cant get them back. Its horrible.
I dont know which ones youre talking about, I dont know anything.
One theory proposed that if you play the last two episodes in tandem, hidden meanings are revealed.
Its good to get your confirmation on that. But arent you flattered when people seek out deeper meanings in your work?
Sure. If theres 100 people in the audience, youre going to get 100 different interpretations, especially when things get abstract. Its beautiful. Everybodys a detective and whatever they come up with is valid in my mind.
Jim Jarmusch recently said: Why cant they just give David Lynch whatever money he needs? He needs money to make something; just give it to him!
I love Jim. I never met him but I love his work. Hes got a singular voice. And to come out and compliment another director, it takes a pretty big guy to do that. But money wont do any good if you dont have the ideas. In fact it can just add pressure. So if I had ideas, then the money would be beautiful.
And the idea dictates whether it is a film, TV show or music video…
Exactly. You can be a doctor, and youre getting ready to go to sleep, and you lay your head on the pillow and some idea flies in, and youre up the rest of your night writing this thing down. Youve got a cure for some disease or something – fantastic! Ideas are out there for everything.
David Lynch at Home runs from Saturday until 29 September as part of Manchester international festival 2019
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