If the Foundation Cartier’s pairing up of David Lynch and Patti Smith for a conversation might seem a bit odd, you might not be aware that the duo have collaborated before. In 2011, they created an e-card for the Foundation (see below), with Lynch’s animation providing the backdrop for Smith’s rendition of "Bah-Bah Black Sheep" because, obviously. The duo are back, having participated in a talk for the gallery and it’s every bit as excellent as you’d expect.
Caught on camera by BBC‘s "Newsnight Encounters" series, this is nine minutes with two fascinating minds in a conversation veering wonderfully all over the place. It kicks off with a discussion of artistic inspiration, with Smith sharing that her song "Grateful" arrived fully formed in her head. But Lynch says his ideas don’t come as easily.
"I get ideas in fragments… it’s as if in the other room, there’s a puzzle… and the first piece I get is just a fragment of the whole puzzle, but I fall in love with this fragment, and it holds a promise for more," the director shared.
The conversation dips into Lynch’s works, covering "Blue Velvet" (the severed ear and Bobby Vinton), "Twin Peaks," and "Eraserhead." Meanwhile, Lynch asks Smith about her contact with Russian punk band Pussy Riot and her thoughts on their situation.
"This is something that goes back to biblical times. This kind of oppression and this kind of misunderstanding. Taking young girls who have families and hopes and dreams and putting them in prison for issuing a teenage prayer, really," says Smith, clearly touched and astounded at what the band has been throught.
This is all great stuff so watch below, along with the e-Card. [Flavorwire]