David Lynch, the surrealist artist who plumbed the darkness lurking underneath American normalcy in the landmark television series “Twin Peaks” and the dreamlike films “Blue Velvet” and “Mulholland Drive,” has died.
He was 78.
Lynch’s family confirmed his death in a post on his official Facebook page. They did not specify a cause of death.
“It is with deep regret that we, his family, announce the passing of the man and the artist, David Lynch,” the post said. “We would appreciate some privacy at this time.”
“There’s a big hole in the world now that he’s no longer with us,” Lynch’s family added. “But, as he would say, ‘Keep your eye on the donut and not on the hole.’ It’s a beautiful day with golden sunshine and blue skies all the way.”
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In a career spanning nearly half a century, Lynch established himself as one of the most stylistically distinctive and thematically daring voices in American entertainment, introducing audiences to images and ideas typically associated with avant-garde art.
He was revered by cinephiles across generations, producing work that was feverishly analyzed and debated. In experimental films such as “Lost Highway and “Inland Empire,” he fearlessly broke narrative conventions.
Lynch’s key preoccupation was the strangeness and insanity underneath the surface of America’s white picket fence ideal, though he also dabbled in science fiction (1984’s “Dune”) and made one G-rated road movie (1999’s “The Straight Story”).
“Twin Peaks” (1990-91) was a revolutionary series and an uncanny blend of genres: serialized murder mystery, metaphysical horror story and primetime soap opera. It was unlike anything on television before or since.
Blue Velvet” (1986), a noir that plays out like a night terror, cemented Lynch as one of the essential American filmmakers of his era, becoming a timeless classic despite — or perhaps because of — its dark exploration of corruption and abuse.
In recent years, Lynch was less of a visible presence on screens. “Inland Empire,” his final feature film, debuted in theaters nearly 20 years ago. He returned to the world of “Twin Peaks” in 2017 with an 18-part limited series on Showtime that cast a spell over admirers and new fans alike.