Perspectives

Thesis Proposal OGR

19th February 2018
by
Michaela Cernejova
 Thesis Enquiry

The Sense of Unease from Francis Bacon‘s Paintings

and Its Influence on David Lynch‘s Filmmaking.
 Thesis Synopsis

For my thesis, I would like to discuss how David Lynch‘s films are often visualy influenced by a work of tra-
ditional visual artists, particularly Francis Bacon. I will be also looking at the similarities in those two artists
and how they both using techniques of surrealism and automatism to create a feeling of uncanny or une-
ase in the spectator. I will first explore main ideas of the beginning of the avant-garde movements and his-
torical social events which led to the formation of such a movements as are Dadaism and Surrealism. Since
Surrealism was developed from and as a more positive reaction to the ideas of Dada movement, hence I
will be exploring both ‘Dada Manifesto‘(1918) by Tristan Tzara and Andre Breton‘s ‘Manifesto of Surrea-
lism‘(1924). I will then explore and explain the theory of ‘Uncanny‘ and other psychoanalytic theories of
Freud and how this relates to perception of Francis Bacon‘s paintings. I will also discuss, how he uses tech-
niques of surrealism and automatism when creating his work even though he is often refered to as an ex-
pressionist painter. I will then use previously discussed theories to compare specific paintings of Francis
Bacon to the specific shots and scenes in the chosen David Lynch‘s film. I am planning to compare one or
more paintings from Francis Bacon‘s series of ‘Screaming Popes or Studies after Velazquez‘ paintings and
their connection to the movie ‘Mullholland Dr.‘ (2001).
 Chapter 1 Synopsis

In Chapter 1, I will be exploring events of history, the social situation during and inbetween World Wars
and what led people to the development of avant-garde movements. I will first explain the main ideas and
aims of the avant-garde movement as a whole and what inspired or pushed society to create such a radi-
cal movements as are Dadaism and Surrealism. As surrealism has a roots in dadaism, I will explain the main
ideas of Dadaism based on Tristan Tzara‘s ‘Dada Manifesto‘ and social situation that caused dadaists‘ fee-
lings of disgust and hopelesness. I will then explain the definition of surrealism based on Andre Breton‘s
‘Manifesto of Surrealism‘ and its more positive approach towards the themes which were previously discu-
ssed by dadaist‘s artists, thinkers and writers. I will be also looking into the techniques and principles such
as automatism, Freud‘s theories of psychonanalysis and their preferation of using subconscious mind and
dreams over rational, logical planning for creating artwork. I will then introduce painter Francis Bacon as a
main representator of surrealist movement and one of the most influential artists of 20th century. I will also
discuss and analyse his approach and techniques that he used for creating his paintings.
 Chapter 2 Synopsis

In Chapter 2 I will be focusing on Freud‘s theories of subconsiousness and psychoanalysis to support pre-
viously discussed techniques of surrealism. I will be mainly focusing on Freud‘s theory of ‘Uncanny‘. The
term ‘Uncanny‘ may describe a situation when everyday, familiar object normaly perceived by the subject
as beautiful/harmless suddenly changes into something dreadful, yet still familiar. According to Freud‘s
theory of Uncanny, the term is a definition for a psychological feeling of something strangely familiar that
can but doesn‘t neccessarily have to change into something terryfying. Freud than explains that the fee-
ling of uncanny or unease that the subject may have experience is what unconsciously reminds the sub-
ject of its own Id, its forbidden/repressed impulses, these uncanny impulses are than perceived by sub-
ject‘s Super-ego as threatening which is resulting in a place where subject cannot distinguish good from
bad and is experiencing an irreducible anxiety.
 Chapter 3 Synopsis

In Chapter 3, I will be taking all the previously discussed theories in chapters 1 and 2 to apply them and
debate about Francis Bacon‘s and David Lynch‘s process of creating their artwork, the visual influnce of
Francis Bacon‘s painting in David Lynch‘s movies and the influence their work have on the spectator. I will
be discussing and connecting the techniques of both artists to the surrealists beliefs and ideas on creati-
vity. I will explain how Francis Bacon never preparing the motifs for his paintings, he never draw sketches
but directly paints on the canvas without controlling his thoughts, he doesn‘t have planned composition
for his painting but he let himself being guided by his subconsciousness. David Lynch is also often using
techniques of surrealism and automatism alongside using a dream logic for his narratives. He is using
non-linear and fragmented technique of storytelling which to the viewers appeals as a dream like feeling
which usually transforms into a feeling of a nightmare. As neither of them are using rational logic for cre-
ating their artwork and they both say about their work that everyone can see in their paintings/movies
whatever they want to see, I will connect this to the Freud‘s theory of Uncanny feeling which the specta-
tor often gets from Francis Bacon‘s paintings and David Lynch‘s movies. These theories and discussions
will be then examplyfied in Francis Bacon‘s ‘Studies after Velazquez‘s Portrait of Pope Innocent X.‘ (1953)
and David Lynch‘s movie ‘Mullholland Dr.‘ (2001).
 Current Research Pro-forma
Author: André Breton
Critical position: poet, writer, theorist
Title: Manifesto of Surrealism
Publisher/publication: Editions de Sagittaire
Place of Publication: France
Date: 1924
Quoattions:
‘It is, in fact, inadmissible that this considerable portion of
psychic activity (since, at least from man’s birth until his
death, thought offers no solution of continuity, the sum of
the moments of the dream, from the point of view of time,
and taking into consideration only the time of pure drea-
ming, that is the dreams of sleep, is not inferior to the sum
of the moments of reality, or, to be more precisely limiting,
the moments of waking) has still today been so grossly ne-
glected.’
‘…when the mind is functioning normally, it really responds
to anything but the suggestions which come to it from the
depths of that dark night to which I commend it.’
‘I believe in the future resolution of these two states, dream
and reality, which are seemingly so contradictory, into a kind
of absolute reality, a surreality, if one may so speak.’
‘The image is a pure creation of the mind. It cannot be born
from a comparison but from a juxtaposition of two or more
or less distant realities. The more the relationship between
the two juxtaposed realities is distant and true, the stronger
the image will be- the greater its emotional power and poe-
tic reality…(Piere Reverdy, Nord-Sud, March 1918)’
‘SURREALISM, n. Psychic automatism in its pure state, by
which one proposes to express – verbally, by means of the
written word, or in any other manner – the actual functio-
ning of thought. Dictated by the thought, in the absence of
any control exercised reason, exempt from any aesthetic or
moral concern.’
 Current Research Pro-forma

Author: Ken Johnson

Critical position: Art Critic Quotations:
Title: Forever wild at heart
Publisher/publication: The New York Times ‘Images of people under duress — blurred, vibrating and
Place of Publication: online source crying out like the figures in Bacon’s “screaming pope” pain-
Date: 2014 tings — recur in many of his films.’

‘…Mr. Lynch never stopped thinking like a visual artist: In his

Subject/Key Points and potential for use: movies, he’s as much an image maker as a storyteller.’

Ken Johnson in his article ‘Forever wild at heart’ for The

New York Times explores David Lynch’s early foundation
in fine art and its influence on his filmography. He also dis-
cusses some of his paintings and drawings, the director’s
transformation from an artist who creates static paintings,
which changed into moving paintings later on (‘Six men ge-
tting sick six times’) into the film director with his own sigi-
nificant style. Farther, Ken Johnson debates about the co-
nnections between David Lynch as a young visual artist and
him as a mature filmmaker.
 Current Research Pro-forma

Author: David Lynch

Critical position: Filmmaker, Director, Screenwriter, Televisi- Quotations:
on Director, Visual Artist
Title: Surrealist Cinema ‘Ther (surrealists) discovered that cinema is the perfect
Publisher/publication: BBC Arena medium for them because it allowed the subconscious to
Place of Publication: UK speak.’
Date: 1987
Chapter: 1 ‘I think that film should have a surface story but underneath
it, there should be things happening that are abstract, the-
Subject/Key Points and potential for use: re’re things that resonate in areas that words can’t help find
out about. And there are subconscious areas.’
This documentary about surrealist cinema includes excerpts
from 9 surrealist films made by some of the most influential ‘The greatest influence for me and for my work was the city
artists of the 20th century, the surrealists, presented and of Philadelphia, which I consider to be one of the sickest,
commented by David Lynch. The director offers his thoughts most corrupt, decadent, fear-ridden cities that exist.’
about each movie or/and artist, information and influences
for his own work. Some of the presented or mentioned ar-
tists include Max Ernst and his movie ‘Desire’(1947), Man
Ray’s ‘Emak Bakia’ (1926), Jean Cocteau’s ‘Le Sang D’Un Po-
ete (‘The Blood of a Poet’) (1932) or ‘The Girl with Pre-Fab-
ricated Heart’ (1947) by Fernard Léger.
 Current Research Pro-forma

Author: David Lych

Critical position: Filmmaker, Director, Screenwriter, Televisi- Quotations:
on Director, Visual Artist
Title: Surrealist Cinema ‘It really gets into the subconscious and stays there, and be-
Publisher/publication: BBC Arena cause it’s so abstract it starts triggering things inside of the
Place of Publication: UK viewer as well.’
Date: 1987
Chapter: Part 2 ‘One of the things that we’ve talked about, about surrealism
is that it deals with things that are hidden beneath the sur-
Subject/Key Points and potential for use: face and in the most of the cases the subconscious. Blue Vel-
vet is a film that deals with things within a small town called
This documentary about surrealist cinema includes excerpts Lumberton and things that are hidden within people.’
from 9 surrealist films made by some of the most influential
artists of the 20th century, the surrealists, presented and
commented by David Lynch. The director offers his thoughts
about each movie or/and artist, information and influences
for his own work. Some of the presented or mentioned ar-
tists include Max Ernst and his movie ‘Desire’(1947), Man
Ray’s ‘Emak Bakia’ (1926), Jean Cocteau’s ‘Le Sang D’Un Po-
ete (‘The Blood of a Poet’) (1932) or ‘The Girl with Pre-Fab-
ricated Heart’ (1947) by Fernard Léger.
 Current Research Pro-forma
Author: Screenprism
Critical position: Films analyses, Online platform
Title: David Lynch: Surrealist of Americana
Publisher/publication: Screenprism
Place of Publication: online source
Date: 2017
Subject/Key Points and potential for use:
Screenprism’s short documentary is exploring the work of
American director and screenwriter David Lynch. The narra-
tor explains how Lynch uses and mixes surreal images and
film noir elements within the Americana settings. The video
discusses Lynch’s history, his films and what his movies reve-
al about his view on Americana. Some of the discussed films
are ‘Lost Highway’, Mullholland Drive’, ‘Eraserhead’, ‘Twin
Peaks’, ‘Blue Velvet’ or ‘Elephant Man’.
Quotation:
‘Anything that the director touches strikes us immediately as
‘Lynchian’ to the eye. When we hear the word ‘Lynchian’, we
think of a white picket fence adorned with prickly red roses,
a well manicured lawn hiding the beetles that hiss underne-
ath, mundane images that macabre. Surrealism mixed with
the film-noir tone in Americana settings.’
‘David Lynch’s personal brand of surrealism exposes the
strange within the familiar. And reality within the dream.’
‘Lynch’s greatest achievement is framing a cinematic appro-
ach around small town American lie and its light and dark
versions of the american dream.’
‘Some of Lynch’s key trademarks as a director are universe
dictated by dream-logic. It’s reflected in sequenes of surre-
alism and magical realism that echo the subconscious state
recurring motifs like 1950s America and the dark underbelly
of suburban life the visual and somatic juxtaposition of light
 Current Research Pro-forma
(continues)

and dark, gritty images of industrial wastelands, eerie ambient noise, red curtain
that obscure passage of time, deformed bodies and complex female characters that
play on our expectations fo the archetypal femme-fatale. This is often reflected in
dual roles for single female actresses, exploring the split identity of a fractured fe-
male self.’

‘Lynch has said that one of his early goals in the film was to make a painting move.’

‘Blue Velvet pulse back that curtain that we think is like suburban living. Everything
is extremely menacing under the surface there which is kind of ironic and it’s funny
it’s dark starkly comic way but the movie becomes quite a detective thriller.’

‘Lynch gives dreams and waking life equal treatment making it difficult for us to de-
termine, what’s objectively happening.’

‘Lynch doesn’t like to discuss what his films are about and he said that every
viewer’s interpretation reflects what the film’s pulled out of his or her subcons-
cious.’
 Current Research Pro-forma
Author: Melvyn Bragg
Critical position: BBC arts broadcaster and presenter
Title: The South Bank Show
Publisher/publication: London Weekend Television (now
ITV London)
Place of Publication: London
Date: 1985
Subject/Key Points and potential for use:
Documentary about Francis Bacon’s life and work hosted by
Melvyn Bragg who also interviews the artist. The interviews
take places in a place where the artist usually spent his
time. Places such as his studio, café, bar, casino and a galle-
ry. The artist talks openly and in details about both his per-
sonal and work life. He talks about his approach towards his
paintings, his creative process, where his inspiration and in-
fluences come from and what does his work means to him.
Quotation:
‘I am much more pleased when they hate them (his pain-
tings) than when they like them. Afterall, it means that there
might be something there if they really dislike them.’
‘Afterall, there is this deep sea that we call subconscious
which we know nothing about. We’ve hoped, I was hoped
that the best wonoderful images would emerge from it.’
‘I believe in deeply ordered chaos.’
‘In the very first place when they (ideas for painting) come
up, you’re not in control of them. But when the image se-
ems to emerge then to make it you have to control it.’
‘I don’t want to tell a story. I have no story to tell. I just like
the darkness of the image.’
host asks: ‘So what it is that you presenting when you fi-
nished?‘, artist answers: ‘Nothing except what people want
to read into it.’
 Current Research Pro-forma
Author: Mick Gold
Critical position: documentary film maker, journalist, photo-
grapher
Title: Europe After the Rain
Publisher/publication: Art Council of Great Britain
Place of Publication: United Kingdom
Date: 1978
Subject/Key Points and potential for use:
The documentary explores and explains dadaism and the
core ideas of the movement including excerpts from Tristan
Zara’s ‘Dada Manifesto’, then it continues with a new group
of artists, surrealists who tried to systematize Dada’s anar-
chy. They were also trying to explain their approach towards
creativity through Freudian psychonanalysis theory and au-
tomatism. The documentary contains also André Breton’s
‘Manifesto of Surrealism’ and his definition of the move-
ment.
Quotation:
‘The beginning of Dada were nt beginnings of art but of dis-
gust.’
‘…can only be comprahanded by complete surrender to the
subconscious. I intend that whoever submits to this law
atends pure life.’
‘Dada marches on. Destroying more and more from all the-
se feelings of disgust. It draws no conclusions, no pride and
no profit. It no longer even fights for it knows that it serves
no purpose and here we come to the great secret. Dada is a
state of mind. That is why it transforms itself according to all
the events and nations and encounters. Dada applies itself
to everything and yet it is nothing.’
‘Dada is useless like everything else in life. Dada has no pre-
tentionsjust as life should have none.’
 Current Research Pro-forma
(continues)

‘Breton’s system is searching for the accesses to the uncons-

cious.’

‘Breton becomes a central figure of a group of writers and ar-

tists seeking a new balance between conoscious and uncons-
cious thoughts.’

‘Paranoia makes use of the external world to empose its absa-

tive notions with disturbing particularity.’

‘The surrealist movement seems to be cought between a wor-

ld of burjoir art and a round of iretional behaviour.’

‘Mystery is frightening, only the unclassifiable, the indefinable

is discerserting.’
 Current Research Pro-forma
Author: Hal Foster
Critical position: Art critic
Title: Compulsive Beauty
Publisher/publication: The MIT Press
Place of Publication: London
Date: 1993
Chapters: Beyond The Pleasure Principle?, Compulsive
Beauty, Convulsive Identity
Subject/Key Points and potential for use:
The founder of surrealism, Andre Breton, wanted surrealism
to be seen as something beautiful, a movement about love
and liberation. Hal Foster explores surrealism from its other
darker side. The author discusses surrealist interpretations
of psychoanalysis and takes it into shocking opposite side
where he connects surrealist movement with Freud’s theory
of ‘Uncanny’.
Quotation:
‘…while Breton saw them (dreams) as portents of desire,
Freud read them as ambiguous fulfilments of conflictual
wishes. For Breton dreams and reality were vases communi-
cants, and surrealism was pledgef ti this mystical communi-
cation; for Freud the two were in a relation of distorted dis-
placement, and the very antirationality of surrealism…’ (p. 2)
‘…the animate is confused with the inanimate, a confusion
that is uncanny precisely because it evokes the conservatism
of the drives, the immanence of death in life.’ (p.21)
‘The working over of seduction, the paranoid projection of
persecution, the melancholic repetition of loss: all these
processes in de Chirico fascinate. Certainly, they fascinated
the surrealists – that is, until they could no longer ignore his
necrophilic turn. ‘ (p.73)
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