I came across Twin Peaks as a 14-year-old during a weekend in which I was bedridden by a terrible cold with not much else to do. The series was the furthest cry from other shows I was watching at the time, like Stranger Things and Scream Queens. Then, and still now, Lynch challenged my understanding of what film should look like. Though far from easily digestible, his work gives his multigenerational audience permission to bend the constraints of logic, to fold them inside out and outside in, to let them fall apart. Above all, he shows us a new way of seeing the world. And maybe it’s his very rejection of pragmatism that other young people have found comforting, because, sometimes, real life doesn’t make sense. Often, it’s much stranger than fiction.
It is tough to forget your first encounter with Lynchian-ism. Below, we spoke to a handful of young creatives and self-proclaimed Lynchheads on their earliest memories of the director’s work and how he’s shaped the way they approach storytelling across mediums.
Sarah Kendric, 24, Art Director
Teen Vogue: How did you first encounter David Lynch? Have your thoughts on his work changed since?
Sarah Kendric: I have plenty of friends who love David Lynch and understood “Lynchian” as an adjective before ever seeing a film of his. My first was Mulholland Drive, which felt like homework to put on — I didn’t go to film school. It turned out to be a marker for measuring how my understanding of his work has grown over time. On first watch, I was intrigued by the idea that a film could be a puzzle. When I last saw it a few months ago, I felt like I could speak his language.
TV: Where were you when you found out about his passing?
SK: I was sitting at my desk at work. A friend texted: “refresh Twitter.”
TV: What has his work taught you?
SK: Lynch’s style is singular, but I find his creative philosophy to be very universal. We shared the same belief that ideas come to us from the beyond, and it’s our job as artists to bring them to life without judgement. His approach taught me that creation can be predicated on questions instead of answers.
TV: There are so many memorable Lynch interview moments. Do you have a favorite?
SK: So many! Whenever he refuses to answer a question.
TV: The word “Lynchian” is often loosely, albeit humorously, thrown around. What does it really mean to you?
SK: Americana. Talking backwards. Surrealism. Cigarettes. The Wizard of Oz. Fire. Mystery. Red lipstick. Red curtains. Donuts. Curiosity. Symbology. Especially, a tremendous amount of heart.
