The concept of absurdity was something David Lynch (1946–2025) was attracted to. Known as the visionary filmmaker behind the cult TV series Twin Peaks, Lynch’s prolific career began as a visual artist where he honed his dark, surrealist signature style. Across 60 years, Lynch produced an extensive body of works in painting, drawing, photography, printmaking, sculpture, music, and, of course, film.

In the wake of his passing on 15 January 2025 we reflect on his practice, and contribution to our widely-celebrated 2015 exhibition 'David Lynch: Between Two Worlds’.

'Between Two Worlds' was a rare opportunity to consider his entire creative vision and the relationships between his practice as an artist, filmmaker and musician. Developed closely with the artist, the QAGOMA exhibition featured more than 200 works. The Gallery's Australian Cinémathèque also commissioned Xiu Xiu to reinterpret the music of Twin Peaks, the compositions and songs by composer Angelo Badalamenti and Lynch were given a startling makeover, and American singer, model and actor Chrysta Bell, known for her collaborations with the filmmaker sang at the opening of the exhibition and concluded her set with a cover of 'Sycamore Trees'. The second special performance commissioned for ‘Between Two Worlds’ was a project by Lawrence English and Jamie Stewart (Xiu Xiu) responding to Lynch’s photographs of disused factories.

Watch | David Lynch in conversation

David Lynch while in Brisbane shared his insights into his life, his work and his many passions — painting, film, music and meditation during his visit to Australia for 'Between Two Worlds'.

Watch | Walk with David Lynch into his world

Developed closely with David Lynch, 'Between Two Worlds' featured more than 200 works and was a rare opportunity to consider Lynch’s entire creative vision and the relationships between his practice as an artist, filmmaker and musician. How many times can you say you've been able to walk into a drawing?

David Lynch / Untitled c.1977 / Felt-tip marker on paper / 7.6 x 12.7cm (sheet) / Collection: Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, Paris / © David Lynch Estate

David Lynch / Untitled c.1977 / Felt-tip marker on paper / 7.6 x 12.7cm (sheet) / Collection: Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, Paris / © David Lynch Estate / View full image

Construction of David Lynch's drawing Untitled c.1977 for the exhibition 'David Lynch: Between Two Worlds'

Construction of David Lynch's drawing Untitled c.1977 for the exhibition 'David Lynch: Between Two Worlds' / View full image

Watch | Xiu Xiu plays the music of Twin Peaks

Led by Jamie Stewart, Angela Seo and Shayna Dunkelman, the music of Xiu Xiu defies simple description. It's a mix of post punk and synth pop, classical and experimental styles, full of brutality and emotional depth. Xiu Xiu's performance isn't simply a recreation of the Twin Peaks soundtrack, but provides an entirely new interpretation that emphasises its chaos, drama, fear, noise and sidelong leering glances.

Watch | Go behind-the-scenes as Xiu Xiu plays the music of Twin Peaks

The Australian Cinémathèque at the Gallery of Modern Art commissioned Xiu Xiu to reinterpret the music of TV series Twin Peaks. Compositions and songs by composer Angelo Badalamenti and David Lynch were given a startling makeover. Jamie Stewart, Angela Seo and Shayna Dunkelman talk us through the project.

Watch | Chrysta Bell performs 'Sycamore Trees' from Twin Peaks

Recorded at the Gallery of Modern Art during the opening of ‘Between Two Worlds’, Chrysta Bell concluded her set with a cover of ‘Sycamore Trees’, written by Angelo Badalamenti and David Lynch, originally performed by Jimmy Scott for the final episode of Twin Peaks 1990–91.

Watch | HEXA Factory Photographs performance

HEXA, a collaborative project by Brisbane-based sound engineer, curator and composer Lawrence English and Xiu Xiu’s Jamie Stewart explored the physicality of sound and its abilities to infiltrate and occupy the body. HEXA presented a new composition responding to David Lynch’s photographs of disused factories (illustrated). Using the factory photographs as a source, their performance draws root from the texture of Lynch’s images, the imagined and actual spaces, and the spectral histories contained within them.

David Lynch / Untitled (Łodź) 2000 / Archival gelatin silver print / 27.9 x 35.5cm (sheet) / © David Lynch

David Lynch / Untitled (Łodź) 2000 / Archival gelatin silver print / 27.9 x 35.5cm (sheet) / © David Lynch / View full image

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    Xiu Xiu plays the music of Twin Peaks

    In 2015 the Gallery’s Australian Cinémathèque commissioned Xiu Xiu to reinterpret the music of TV series Twin Peaks for the exhibition ‘David Lynch: Between Two Worlds’. Compositions and songs by composer Angelo Badalamenti and David Lynch were given a startling makeover and presented in two sell-out performances. The music has since been presented throughout Europe, Russia and the United States, most recently at Lynch’s own Festival of Disruption. Led by Jamie Stewart, Angela Seo and Shayna Dunkelman, the music of Xiu Xiu defies simple description. It’s a mix of post punk and synth pop, classical and experimental styles, full of brutality and emotional depth. Xiu Xiu’s performance isn’t simply a recreation of the Twin Peaks soundtrack, but provides an entirely new interpretation that emphasises its chaos, drama, fear, noise and sidelong leering glances. The music of Twin Peaks is everything that we aspire to as musicians and is everything that we want to listen to as music fans. It is romantic, it is terrifying, it is beautiful, it is unnervingly sexual. The idea of holding the ‘purity’ of the 1950′s up to the cold light of a violent moon and exposing the skull beneath the frozen, worried smile has been a stunning influence on us. There is no way that we can recreate Badalamenti and Lynch’s music as it was originally played. It is too perfect and we could never do its replication justice. Our attempt will be to play the parts of the songs as written, meaning, following the harmony melody but to arrange in the way that it has shaped us as players. Jamie Stewart, 2015 ‘David Lynch: Between Two Worlds’ Exclusive to Brisbane’s Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) 14 March – 7 June 2015.
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    Beyond the Fire: Twin Peaks and a girl without a secret

    'There are so many clues and feelings in the world that it makes a mystery . . . and there are many avenues in life where we’re given little indications that the mystery can one day be solved. We get little proofs — not the big proof — but little proofs that keep us searching'. David Lynch 8 April 2015 marks the 25th anniversary of David Lynch and Mark Frost’s television series Twin Peaks 1990–91. This ground-breaking vision of small town America revelled in a beauty and horror that lay beneath the surface of the everyday. It was part melodrama and murder mystery, and its success and longevity is a salient marker of our collective fascination with mysteries. As Lynch puts it, “Human beings are like detectives. We sense a mystery and we want to know what’s going on.” It is happening again! ‘Between Two Worlds’ also includes a gallery-based presentation of the Log Lady Introductions, written and directed by Lynch to accompany syndication of the series in 1993. One of the show’s more enigmatic figures, the Log Lady communicated with a place ‘beyond the fire’ through her log and is presented in the Gallery in a setting reminiscent of the interior of The Black Lodge, a location in Twin Peaks described as a ‘place between two worlds’, where characters meet their shadow-selves. In the penultimate episode Laura Palmer tells Agent Cooper who is trapped in The Black Lodge, ‘I’ll see you again in 25 Years’ – a promise that has swelled with fans since the announcement that Lynch, Frost and the Showtime network would revisit the town with a 9-episode third series to be directed by Lynch. A new novel by Frost called ‘The Secret Lives of Twin Peaks’ (2015) was also announced with the promise that it would reveal what happened to the show’s characters in the intervening years. But like the song goes: who knows where or when? During Lynch’s visit to Brisbane for the opening of ‘Between Two Worlds’ he intimated that while he was still very much in love with the world of Twin Peaks, negotiations with the network were proving difficult and contracts were yet to be signed. Lynch’s reservation and clear frustration with the process drew speculation internationally that the new series might never eventuate. Those fears were fuelled by Lynch’s recent announcement that he was leaving the production, lamenting that he wished things could have worked out differently. Fans and actors have since begun the campaign to save the production with Lynch and Frost at the helm. The message is simple: No Lynch, No Peaks. In Sheryl Lee’s video message she described the endgame as “Twin Peaks without David Lynch is like a girl without a secret”. It’s a reminder of the commitment of fans worldwide who previously campaigned for 20 years for the release of deleted scenes from Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me that surfaced with the 2014 release of The Missing Pieces. ‘David Lynch: Between Two Worlds’ Exclusive to Brisbane’s Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) 14 March – 7 June 2015.
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