David Lynch: The Air Is on Fire [Hardcover]

David Lynch (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 15, 2007

The first major collection of artwork by the acclaimed movie director David Lynch.

Spanning a period of forty years, David Lynch's widely respected films and television series include Eraserhead, The Elephant Man, Blue Velvet, Twin Peaks, Lost Highway, and Mulholland Drive. However, his prolific visual art production, which began even before his films, has rarely been seen.

This catalogue of his artistic output, published on the occasion of a large-scale exhibition at the Fondation Cartier in Paris, covers a wide variety of disciplines: painting, photography, drawings, sculpture, furniture, music, and "moving pictures." His art echoes his films in theme and aesthetic, yet offers viewers a fresh and more intimate glimpse into his singular universe. The book also contains several essays that analyze his artworks, as well as a conversation with Lynch, interviewed within the context of the show. 469 illustrations in color.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 452 pages
• Publisher: Thames & Hudson; First Edition edition (April 15, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0500976694
• ISBN-13: 978-0500976692
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 9.3 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,302,115 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-have for Lynch fans, May 17, 2007

By 

Garmonbozia (The Northwest, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: David Lynch: The Air Is on Fire (Hardcover)

This book is beautiful, a large coffee table size book of color reproductions of Lynch's work. It includes an audio interview on two CDs. I just got the book today, so I have only skimmed it so far. It's similar to "Images" which has been out of print for years, and goes at auction for $100 to $300 when you can find it. I can't believe the low price on this wonderful book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great book, must have, September 14, 2007

By 

Librelita "librelita" (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: David Lynch: The Air Is on Fire (Hardcover)

I always buy these great art books and never actually read them because they are so damn heavy and imposing. This one, though it is big and heavy (as art books should be) comes with two cds that have a recording of David Lynch being interviewed about almost every piece in the book. It's great to put the cd in and follow along in the book. The interview is interesting and intimate and I found the book and whole experience to be a deep well of creative inspiration I can keep on my bookshelf until I'm stuck again. Highly recommended.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The most comprehensive publication of Lynch's art available, January 5, 2008

By 

J. Boles - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: David Lynch: The Air Is on Fire (Hardcover)

This is the book which got me into Lynch's art, and subsequently aided in opening the door to my own attempts at painting. It is also the most comprehensive collection of his prolific output, ranging from bizarre, colorful ink abstractions on loose paper to production design sketches for the baby in "Eraserhead." Along the way, you also get film stills from the avant-garde director's movies; an amazing interview (text as well as spread out over two accompanying audio CD's)with Lynch; a collection of his photography (ranging from industrial landscapes to nudes) and Photoshop distortion of nudes taken by Uwe Shield; and finally, numerous oil-on-canvas paintings. The paintings are the real highlight of the book, their dark backgrounds highlighting the nightmarish experiences of Lynch's bizarre stick-man characters. Very enjoyable though thoroughly creepy and unsettling, Lynch's art is like no other. By far the best available retrospective of his art, this book is highly recommended, as is the now out-of-print "Images."