Post 1

 

I decided to pursue surrealism and the assorted visual works of David Lynch for inspiration on these assignments. I’ve always been drawn to photographic images and other visual forms of art that bend or break reality in some way. Growing up, I was introduced to surrealists like Salvador Dali, H.R. Giger, and Francis Bacon. Their influence can be felt on many of the films I enjoy. David Lynch is a man of many talents, and his creative output is vast and bizarre. As much as I love film, especially visually-striking ones, David’s particular style of film never really spoke to me in the way it did to those I socialized with. For the most part, his work only succeeded in frustrating me and making me feel alienated. For some unexplained reason, I recently decided to give his series, Twin Peaks another chance after many false starts throughout the years, and it just clicked for me this time. I’ve been slowly exploring his vast career ever since.

David is known for employing a dream-like atmosphere, especially in his film and television work. Plot is not usually the primary focus. His artistic efforts are more about the overall experience and how they make the audience feel. Each piece he produces is like a psychological journey. He puts images in front of the viewer that are intended to make them think or react in some way. A significant portion of his output can be upsetting for many people. The subject matter often deals with the absurd or the grotesque. I will do my best to be mindful that not everyone’s sensibilities are like my own, and will try to remain as respectful as I can with the work I turn in. It is not my intention to be offensive in any way, but some of the subject matter may be unavoidable. If I happen to upset anyone, I apologize.  

  

For my first submission, I wanted to reinterpret some of David’s traditional photography. Old factories, power plants, and examples of urban decay appear in a great deal of Lynch’s work. I too, share his fascination with those things. I was able to capture my photos in the areas of State Street, Grand Avenue, East Street, and Long Wharf Drive. I tried to include some subtle distortions in a few of these photos, but they are largely untouched in that regard for the most part. As much as I’d like to get started building dreams and nightmares of my own design, I am a bit rusty on Photoshop. It would have been a mistake to just jump into my interpretation of Eraserhead without some practice. I chose to do this submission entirely in black and white because that is how his own series on factories and power plants is presented. I did not see any that showed otherwise. 

I enjoy video games a great deal, so these final three photos are me using Lynch's style to reinterpret Simon Belmont approaching Dracula's castle in the first Castlevania.