Adland Remembers David Lynch
However you first encountered visionary filmmaker and artist David Lynch, his work stood out as some of the most uniquely surreal and creatively idiosyncratic artefacts of the last century in American art.
Whether it was ‘The Elephant Man’, ‘Twin Peaks’, ‘Mulholland Drive’, ‘Eraserhead’, ‘Blue Velvet’ or something else, that first exposure to his individual creative mind was pretty much guaranteed to make a lasting impression. In fact, his visual and tonal signatures became so influential and ingrained in cultural discourse that an eponymous term, ‘Lynchian’, rose to prominence – now an important descriptor for the work that imitates, though perhaps may never equal the imaginative work of the originator.
After his passing on January 15th, LBB heard from directors and creatives who wished to pay tribute to one of America’s greatest modern filmmakers.
Photo: Aaron from Seattle, WA, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped with greyscale filter)
Floria Sigismondi
Director at Scheme Engine
David Lynch leaves an impact on me as a director and as a human being. His fearless devotion to creativity is unwavering. Self-censorship doesn’t exist in a Lynchian world. He used mundane objects - a doughnut or a telephone - as a megaphone to express duality and life's truths. The way he generated a strange and unsettling feeling is the hardest thing to do in a film but, within the layers of a character's look, an uneasy soundtrack, or an extended shot, he hits us with this sensation and we're inside his world. His films are an experience.
I've had the life-changing privilege of learning Transcendental Mediation (TM) through the David Lynch Foundation. The practice is invaluable to me, artistically and personally. In TM, we dive deep within the ‘Unified Field’, which Lynch describes as pure consciousness, where we are all connected. Through the Foundation he gives back – a key part of his legacy. Though his films can be dark, he leaves us a beacon of light! David Lynch didn't die, he walked through the door of the ‘in-between’ with a cigarette in his mouth.
Niclas Larsson
Director at MJZ
It is true what people say; movies are made for instant satisfaction but cinema is not. This is strikingly true when it comes to Lynch and why his art, and person, deserve utter respect and admiration.
When I first discovered Lynch, I didn’t immediately like what I was seeing and hearing. Admittedly, I even disliked it, yet I knew, because I could feel it - that whatever I was experiencing, someone was talking. Talking loudly. I remembered telling myself to return to it at a later stage. This is what we so easily disregard today, returning to things we dislike. But Lynch demands this from us.
It was no coincidence that I called [‘Twin Peaks’ actor] Lara Flynn Boyle for my first movie, which came out last year. It served two purposes: First, she’s an exceptional actor, and second, I could live on the hope that David would watch my film. I don’t think he ever did.
Oliver Würffell
Director at JOJX
David Lynch's artistic mind and fearless approach to filmmaking have profoundly influenced many creative journeys and visually driven lives - from his exploration of the subconscious to the mastery of atmosphere. Lynch’s ability to find beauty in darkness and uncover the surreal within the mundane inspires me to push boundaries and trust the power of intuition in storytelling.
His work has taught me that cinema is not merely about narrative, but about creating experiences – immersive, visceral and enigmatic. Lynch’s dedication to authenticity, from his meticulous sound design to his painterly visuals, reminds me to honour every detail in my craft.
Above all, Lynch’s belief in embracing the unknown, both on-screen and in life, made him a true legend. His legacy to create fearlessly, embracing the mysterious, and forge deeply personal yet universal cinematic worlds will last forever.
Harry Patramanis
Director at CoMPANY Films
It’s Oscar season again, and every studio in Hollywood is channelling tons of money into their various campaigns. But I can’t stop thinking about David Lynch. It was right around now in 2005 that he could be found, on any given day, in person, at the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and La Brea with a live COW! This was his version of a campaign. He sat next to the cow and a big ‘For Your Consideration’ sign with a picture of Laura Dern for her performance in his film ‘Inland Empire’.
The scene was so surreal, it was as dreamlike as his movies — and this went on for days. Any random stranger could walk by and meet him. When interviewed about it, he said, “People solve problems with money normally; well, I don’t have any money.” At the time, I lived just up the hill, so I drove by this scene many times on my way home. It grounded me at a time when one could get wrapped up in the obsession with appearances that define Hollywood. Here was one of cinema’s greatest directors, sitting on a corner with a cow to remind me that you don’t always have to follow the herd.
Thomas Ralph
Director at Imposter in New York and Caviar London
As a child, my art lecturing, ex-stoner Dad would delight in introducing me to age appropriate cult cinema. The mythos of ‘Eraserhead’ (by far his favourite film) hung heavy in our home. I still remember the day we watched it and how it ended. Henry kills his baby, seemingly kills himself and then the credits roll. I looked at my Dad and said, “What the hell was that? It was rubbish.” I now know, my 14-year-old self was wrong.
Jordan Hemingway
Director at Object & Animal
David Lynch has been more than just a source of inspiration – he has been a guiding force in my creative journey. His ability to present surrealism as an effortlessly cool package has irrevocably transformed my approach to storytelling. I wouldn’t be the director I am today, nor the one I aspire to become, without his work. Lynch has shown me that art transcends titles – beyond being a director, a photographer or a painter, he embodies what it means to live everyday as an artist.
I vividly remember watching ‘Twin Peaks’ for the first time. I was living in New York, navigating a challenging period in my life, wrestling with myself in ways that felt overwhelming. Twin Peaks became my escape, a portal into another world. It reconnected me with the artist I longed to be, and its darkness propelled me back into the light of the craft I held so dearly.
David Lynch has a rare ability to uncover magic in the mundane, finding wonder in the simplest moments. In a world that often feels convoluted and uncertain, where the future seems like an endless, unknowable tangle, his stories offer solace. While his films may not be about the future, the way he weaves narrative logic feels like a balm, reminding us to embrace the twisting, unpredictable journey of life with grace and curiosity.
Within his work there is no favourite, all his films are masterpieces in their own right. He redefined storytelling as poetry, carving a space for it in the American landscape. Through his courage and vision, he has dared those of us who think differently to dream boldly. Lynch didn’t just pave the way, he illuminated it.
Adrian Yu
Director at Mayda
Like many edgy kids from my generation, Lynch's work came to me at age 12 when my dad decided it was in my best interest to watch ‘Blue Velvet’. It not only haunted me but also firmly inspired me with how the power of sound can radically reshape contexts of sight and space, turning mundane imagery into otherworldly dreamscapes.
Above: Original David Lynch drawing framed in Adrian's office
I became obsessed with Lynch's use of sound to deftly manipulate mood and emotion in environments. My first student films in high school were oddly Lynchian, including stop motion video essays where I lit ping pong tables on fire and existential shorts about life after death with droning original scores. When I matriculated into commercial spaces with work combining film, technology and experience, sound became my storytelling apparatus to control how audiences perceive visual and physical environments, conveying nuanced layers of emotion with sharp decisions in audio. I thank David Lynch for that.
Paul Hewitt
Executive creative director at That Lot
For me, Lynch brought to bear the juxtaposition of waking reality and another reality, a hidden reality, or buried reality, or transcendent reality which is as real, or more real, than anything else. There's human truth here in the internal versus external trials and tribulations of our two versions of ourselves fighting to survive.
[Side note: there's a fantastic documentary called ‘Lynch/Oz’ where different filmmakers examine the deep connection between the cinematic world of Lynch and ‘The Wizard of Oz’ - it’s worth a watch.]
Lynch's passing is a deep reminder to me that the abstract can be as powerful as realism. We're seeing that play out in platforms like TikTok where in this crazily bat shit world where no day is the same, our planet is burning around us, criminals can become president and a dying economic system that we need to craft more surrealist energy into our work.
And, in this world, where AI and economic status is driving work into the realm of the functional - where everything is becoming the same and we feel culturally stagnant - challenge ourselves to be original. Corporate creativity has made audiences lazy. Instead of giving audiences the punchline in the first three seconds, we need to make stories that set people's minds ablaze and ask them to open their minds. We need to teach the world about curiosity again. We need the unexpected. Lynch did this the best.
Sergii Shevtsov
Director at Institute
David Lynch and I became friends in a dream, which, honestly, feels like the only way it could happen with him.
The first Lynch film I saw was ‘Inland Empire’. I wasn’t ready for it. It left me confused, questioning his creative process. It felt messy, complicated and impossible to make sense of. I went around saying as much for weeks – until Lynch showed up in my dream.
He was kind, smiling and calm. He said things I didn’t know anyone else could feel. And I fell in love with Lynch as a creative force. I rewatched everything, devoured his masterclasses, took a course in Transcendental Meditation, and even stole his finger gesture and the phrase, ‘This doesn’t feel correct’.
The world feels different now, knowing I’ll never wait for another Lynch film again. For me, Lynch – despite all the mysticism and surrealism in his work – embodied goodness and light. He showed me what creativity could feel like, and I’ll always be grateful for that.
Annabel Engels
Managing director at Mother Design
David Lynch’s impact extended far beyond film – his vision reshaped not just storytelling but creativity itself. As someone fortunate enough to have worked pro-bono with the David Lynch Foundation in the UK, I saw first-hand how deeply he believed in the connection between meditation and creativity. He wasn’t just an auteur; he was a pioneer in making Transcendental Meditation (TM) accessible to those who needed it most – children, veterans, survivors of domestic violence and NHS staff post-covid.
Lynch understood that creativity isn’t just about inspiration - it’s about unlocking something deeper. His surreal, dreamlike storytelling challenged conventions, proving that the subconscious could be the most powerful creative tool and his gentle insistence that creativity isn’t an isolated spark; it’s something we cultivate by turning inward, by daring to explore the depths of our own minds. Through his art and his advocacy, he gave us all a permission slip to be bold, abstract and unapologetically different.
His films are compulsory viewing, but his real legacy is in how he encouraged people - in every daring, unconventional creation and in every moment we spend tapping into the quiet depths within ourselves.
Katy Hopkins
Executive creative director at Iris
My introduction to David Lynch’s work happened by accident. Someone put the wrong DVD in the wrong box, leading me to an uncomfortable viewing of ‘Blue Velvet’ in the film room at art college. It was quite a shock. The film was so intriguingly different to anything I had seen before that I needed more.
Cut to me missing classes to watch the rest of Lynch’s work: ‘Twin Peaks’, ‘Mulholland Drive’ and ‘Eraserhead’. So many films are predictable, a rehash of something familiar, and there is some pleasure in that. But with David Lynch, you never know what’s going to happen – and I loved that. The dummy narratives, plot swaps and broken tropes. The unpredictable stories – that’s what keeps you excited, engaged and, in my case, hooked. He was, of course, an artist – painter, musician, actor, and author. Most importantly, he was different. My favourite work of his is ‘The Straight Story’, a quiet journey compared to his other work, but it touched my heart in a way few things do.
