David Lynch’s new paintings found a new home, if at least temporarily, at the Griffin Gallery in Santa Monica. These monumental works of art were displayed for the first time anywhere on Sept 12^th 2009 (If you don’t count one piece having been on display in Mr. Lynch’s bedroom in the months preceding the exhibit).

This was a rare treat, as new paintings from Mr. Lynch have not been on display in the U.S. for over a decade. With the most recent piece completed just 2 months prior to the opening…it is in fact, the most recent example of Mr. Lynch’s artistic vision as a painter. The artist has also found a new medium to work with that he is very excited about. Cardboard.

Rich – “What was it about cardboard that caught your attention?”

Lynch – “Cardboard for me, it’s a texture, it’s a color, and it takes materials in a most organic way…and I like it very, very much.”

Monumental is an appropriate term for the six paintings at the core of this exhibit, as they are truly that, both in imagery, scope, as well as size, weighing around 300 pounds each. They are each displayed in a shadow box that was inspired by the artist Francis Bacon, a key influence on Lynch’s artistic life.

Rich – “I heard through the grapevine, that even these frames were Bacon inspired.”

Lynch – “I went to the Marlborough gallery in New York City in the 60’s. I don’t know if it was ’67 or ’66 … I think it was 67, I don’t know, Marlborough gallery…I walked in, I almost passed out. The work was so incredible…and it was framed in a similar way to this. Glass floating in front of the paint… gold leaf frames… And it just, the whole presentation just shot me through the roof and I said, if I ever get any money…I wanna frame my stuff like that. They were destined for this kind of frame. And the thing is, they’ll live in this frame now. Whatever happens to ‘em, they’ll live in this frame. It’s like their house. “

When asked what will happen to the paintings after the exhibition, Mr. Lynch responds with a laugh, “Um…they’re close to 300 lbs each…the paintings…and I need a crane to get’em in my house… you gotta help me sell these things.”

Incidentally, if you’d like to buy one of the Lynch pieces…they are for sale.

• Brian Rich
• brich@conltrolledburnfilm.com

Producer/Director – Brian Rich

1^st A.D./Editor – Flavia Zanini

Cameras  – Mike Ansbach, Michael Dean

Sound – Evan Freeman

Music provided by Danger Mouse, Sparklehorse, and The Flaming Lips

Special Thanks:

Laura Dern, Roger Corman, Martha Levacy, Steve Cole

http://www.unicef.org/index.php

http://www.dangermousesite.com/

http://www.sparklehorse.com/

http://www.flaminglips.com