Mr. Lynch and The Art Life

Hello, hello!

After a brief summer hiatus we are back again for another season of Negative Space.

A few housekeeping items:

If you have a topic or an idea that’s keeping you in orbit or has some gravity, please shoot me a message and we’ll schedule you to host a talk on the calendar for this Fall.

This season, we’re switching up our location and time (7pm every other Tuesday). Longtime member Tanner has generously opened up his home as our meeting space this Fall. He’s got a beautiful place that will provide the perfect stage for some philosophical discussion. We’ll have a sign out front that says “Negative Space” you know it’s the right place when you walk up. It’ll also be a BYOB scenario.

Nick and I are kicking it off with the first topic of the season:

Mr. Lynch and The Art Life

“I had this idea. You drink coffee. You smoke cigarettes. And you paint. And that’s it… It’s the incredible happiness of working and living that life.” - David Lynch

“We live inside a dream… And one day we wake up and realize that it was a dream, and we realize who we truly are. It's a glorious day when that happens.” - David Lynch

“Yes, I have emphysema from my many years of smoking. I have to say that I enjoyed smoking very much, and I do love tobacco - the smell of it, lighting cigarettes on fire, smoking them - but there is a price to pay for this enjoyment, and the price for me is emphysema. I have now quit smoking for over two years. Recently I had many tests and the good news is that I am in excellent shape except for emphysema. I am filled with happiness, and I will never retire.” - David Lynch

David Lynch speaks fondly and frequently of what he calls “The Art Life,” which he says originated from a book he used to carry around called, “The Art Spirit.”

The Art Life is a way of life, and it involves a manner of living that is equal-parts courage, ignorance, and child-like curiosity. At this event, Nick and I will explore some of what we think are a the key tenets of the Art Life— catching ideas, willful ignorance, an aversion to cynicism, etc. We'll kick things off with a few opening remarks to open up a discussion on Art, creativity and how it relates to living. There might be some frequent referencing to the philosopher George Bataille as well, who’s made an appearance once or twice at our gatherings.

I’m looking forward to connecting again, and I hope to see you there. If you have any questions about the venue or would like to host an event this season, reach out!

Best,

Sawyer