Under the Influence

Well, it only took 5 years... or 15 years, depending how you count, but the second season of David Lynch's groundbreaking TV series Twin Peaks is finally coming out on DVD in April. I don't normally use this blog to comment on stuff like this, but I think it merits a few words just because the show did have a pretty big influence on me. Growing up in conservative Ohio, my sensibilities of beauty and sex had been largely formed by mainstream sources such as Playboy and even the Swimsuit Issue of Sports Illustrated. Even though I was late to the party, Lynch's Twin Peaks (as well as Blue Velvet) came along and let me in on some new ideas of art, beauty, and the (slightly) darker side of sexuality. In some ways it's a bit tame by today's standards, but at the time, it was pretty bold stuff. The influence shows up clearly in my work from time to time (like the shot of Teddie, below) but it's always there under the surface. Looking forward to taking a trip back to the White Lodge.