Twin Peaks

One of my absolute favourite TV moments is the 90's series Twin Peaks. David Lynch and Mark Frost collaborated on the series set in a small north American town, surrounded by dark forces. Following the themes of Blue Velvet, this production crosses genres and creates an unsettling yet homely atmosphere. 
Twin Peaks is an exploration of a small town whose dark secrets are revealed during the murder investigation of high-school prom queen Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee). Combining characters and storylines straight out of soap operas, sit-coms, detective stories, science fiction, and horror, Twin Peaks was a huge hit with its intertexuality, post-modern humour, and supernatural themes.
Similar to Blue Velvet, the sudden idealistic ending of perfect happiness is so drenched in irony that ultimately Lynch seems to be suggesting that people who have the potential for violence cannot find true happiness.

This link explores further the masterpieces of David Lynch - The Evil that men do

Moving into Film

The Surreal World of David Lynch
David Lynch is the master of creating and manipulating his own landscapes and environments. The way in which he plays with the perception of the viewer can create an unnerving, sometimes uncomfortable and always confusing feeling. The movies pull in the viewer, yet refrain from explaining the coded and surreal events as they unfold. There is an anti narrative of sorts - not a clear beginning, middle and end - just a series of questions and concepts on the viewers part.

This is an extract of an essay on the film Blue Velvet and covers many of the areas I am interested in, with particular reference to perception and the participation of the viewer. The full essay is linked below -
'the post-modern aesthetic relies on four tightly inter-related sets of concepts ; 'parody and pastiche', 'prefabrication', 'inter-textuality', 'bricolage'." Post-modernism, as Lyotard defines it, also implies a blurring of high and low cultural boundaries, the inability to distinguish between the 'real' and the artifice, the commodification of everyday life and the sense of the fragmentary, ambiguous and uncertain nature of living. To these features add heightened social and individual reflexivity, ironic self-referentiality, the de-differentiation of classical western categories, the questioning of meta-narratives and the concepts of the French Cinema du look, that of emphasised style - the fetishisation of the image.'


Chapter 3: Blue Velvet Post-modernism and Authorship 

Apocalypse

Apocalypse

Moving forward with my project I am returning to the landscape in its dramatic form, looking at the negative sublime and apocalyptic imagery. My dissertation theme is placed with in the historical notion of the gothic landscape and its reinterpretation into contemporary art, looking at the hyper-real. My studies will be centered in Apocalyptic landscape and I will be looking at literature, film, photography and painting.  The following artists create fantastical, post apocalyptic, and fear invoking environments, covering a range of mediums.

Emily Nelligan American Draughtsman, born 1924    

 Each drawing is a testimony of what she breathed that day.

I love the atmospheric style of Emily Nelligan's drawings, the minimal detail and vast tonal range creates deep and turbulent landscapes. The sense of scale is dependent on the viewers imagination as there is nothing to compare it too, however the depth created tonally gives me the impression of a huge void and therefore creates a negative sublime - the notion of the last days, the end even.

Adam Hancher Illustrator

Adam Hancher's illustration style lends itself to the idea of fantastical make believe lands with a negative twist. I love the limited palette that adds to the gloomy dystopia, the tree stumps litter the foreground as the rain pours down.

Hisaharu Motoda's Neo Ruins

A series of lithographs depicting the cityscape of a post apocalyptic tokyo. The graphic quality of this work is what has drawn me in,  The fine detail adds to the chaos and turmoil, yet the emptiness allows the eye freedom to roam over the destruction peacefully and quietly. The antique look of the lithographic medium effectively amps up the eeriness of the futuristic setting. "In Neo-Ruins I wanted to capture both a sense of the world's past and of the world's future," says Motoda on his website.

Goya El Coloso

This image was described by Baudelaire as 'giving the monstrosity the ring of truth'.

Into the Void

Next Steps
So far I have looked into historical representations of the sublime landscape, and touched on the creation of atmosphere and the enormity of the concept of our world and our impact as humans (for example in the film Koyaanisqatsi). 
I seem to be interested in the drama of an event, the emotion and feeling that can be invoked just by an atmosphere. Dark brooding thunderstorms rumbling in the distance and the impact as they arrive. 


This research has given me a lot to think about, so I have began with observing the landscapes around me and those which cause me to react or have a sensation of some sort.
The journey took me to Tintern Abbey in the Wye valley:

I love the idea of imaginary landscapes, looking at the horizon from a different point of view. The idea that a small log could be seen as a mountain or leaves as trees, a fantastical approach. I am experimenting with different mediums in my explorations adding to the unlocking of more ideas and inspiration. 

Photography, Installation, Video and Writing/Literature are the mediums that interest and inspire me - with a little painting added on the side, therefore I will be experimenting in these areas in pursuit of my end goal .. which is unwritten.


REWORKING THE LANDSCAPE
I seem to view the landscape in front of me as a puzzle, fitting together the fragments, wondering whether I could move one part somewhere else and re arrange the pieces. I am in awe of the power of nature and haven't been fortunate enough to witness any of the 'wonders' as of yet, but i haven't missed out, nature is wondrous wherever you are, its accessible to anyone who cares to look. Making characters from clouds or being bewildered by the perfect rays of sun through a heavy cloud, gives me a sense of being small and confused, it also makes me want to learn and inspires me to make the most of the game.


Yuken Teruva

Yuken Teruya Notice Forest (Mc Donalds Bag)

This is a beautiful example of the creation of a landscape within a false environment. Paper art is a sensitive and delicate art form that lends itself to creating magical scenes. The light coming through the bag adds to the beauty. This is just an aesthetic response to the piece as it also has obvious commentary on the environment and the corporate giant at its heart.

Paul Hayes

Paul Hayes Paper Forest

This installation conjures up ideas of autumnal leaves falling when illuminated with filtered lighting. When seen in the daylight without lighting it takes on less of a natural aesthetic and becomes much more structural and abstract. 

Zeger Reyers

Reyers installation gives the empty room life, the forms attach themselves to the walls and ooze from the corners. The natural life forms growing and taking over the space.

Salvador Dali

Dali manipulates the landscape in this scene to play on the viewers perception, do we see elephants? or do we see swans?. As the eye bounces up and down in a response to the trickery the landscape becomes filled with mischief and the surrealists notorious delve into the subconscious dream world. 

NEW WORLDS