With the death of David Lynch, there has been an outpouring of love for the man and his work the last 2 days. Much of that outpouring has developed into a rallying cry of “Make Weird Art.” Lynch was known for being a “freak.” His movies detract from formula and have layers of meaning that he never would explain and endings that never seemed to wrap up the story in a neat bow, leaving the world to continue in the minds of the viewers. He was a big believer in the difference between art and entertainment, the latter made for money and the former made because the artist needs to do it.
His Death
Before I get into the main purpose of this post, I want to say that I am heartbroken by the news of Lynch’s death.
Director-writer David Lynch, who radicalized American film with with a dark, surrealistic artistic vision in films like “Blue Velvet” and “Mulholland Drive” and network television with “Twin Peaks,” has died. He was 78.
Lynch revealed in 2024 that he had been diagnosed with emphysema after a lifetime of smoking, and would likely not be able to leave his house to direct any longer. His family announced his death in a Facebook post, writing, “There’s a big hole in the world now that he’s no longer with us. But, as he would say, ‘Keep your eye on the donut and not on the hole.’”
~The Vulture
As we mourn the loss of a great artist and kind person, lets remember his own words about death – “they just drop their physical body and we’ll all meet again”.
Make Weird Art – Your Way
What is meant by Make Weird Art, or what should be meant by that, is make weird art IN YOUR VOICE.
Lynch was a kid in the 50s. He hung out in Diners. He liked jukeboxes and formica counter tops and blue light and suits and things like that as well as being a follower of transcendental yoga.
that was his voice. We see a lot of that in his work in one way or another.
He shares that he dips into these wells of ideas and vibes of his childhood and his experiences.
So do that yourself
Look at the things you like and dip into those wells. Go fish in your wells of experience for ideas. You don’t have to try and go fishing in his wells, you have your own.
For me, that means a lot of imagery of 80s and 90s video rentals and cafes where girls with nose rings sell badly Xerox’d zines, Appalachian hollers, Military and HUD housing, autistic and queer characters, Pagan beliefs, and purple and green color palettes.
For you it could mean anything.
We’re gonna see a lot of folks who think Make Weird Art = Make another Twin Peaks or another Blue Velvet
That’s not what he would have wanted and that’s not what the world wants
We need you and your own unique flavor of weird, creeps. Lets see that!
You Better Mean It
If you’re calling for Weird Art, you better mean it.
Not long ago I saw a video about being autistic and the struggle when people tell you to “be yourself.” How, sure, they say that but they don’t mean it. We autists know they don’t mean it because when we are ourselves and we let that mask drop people respond in varying degrees of discomfort. The backlash for being ourselves can mean abandonment or abuse. It can be dangerous for us to be ourselves.
The same goes for weird art.
Weird Art doesn’t sell like main stream art does. Weird art doesn’t fit formulas or comfort levels. Weird art takes as long as it takes and doesn’t always sit in allotted time limits or budgets.
We can see this in Lynch’s weird art. His movies and shows didn’t come out as blockbuster hits. Critics complained about the lack of ending. People begged him to tell them what it meant because not having the meaning(s) explained bluntly and without speculation made them uncomfortable.
If you really want weird art – support weird artists.
This means supporting artists that don’t fit the mold. Support disabled artists. Support queer and trans artists. Support POC artists.
Supporting weird art doesn’t stop at buying the words of dead straight white men. Its easy to support weird art, or any art for that matter, when you’re not thinking about the person behind it and what they believe and where they spend their money if they have any at all.
If you want weird art, mean it.
Buy weird art.
Buy weird books.
Buy weird movies.
Buy weird music.
If you can’t afford it, support in free ways by sharing said weird art on social media. Review what you have seen/read/watched/heard. Get what you can from libraries. Write the artist and let them know what their work means to you.
