My House is on Fire. David Lynch | Horst Janssen

9 November 2024 until 16 February 2025

David Lynch is known to a wide audience as an internationally renowned director and avant-gardist of cinematic art, as the creator of films such as ‘Mullholland Drive’ (2001), ‘Blue Velvet’ (1986) and ‘Eraserhead’ (1977). His cinematic work is characterised by poetic images as well as abysmal and grotesque content, but above all by an enigmatic and ambiguous narrative structure. Few people know, however, that Lynch is also a visual artist and develops his films from the perspective of his painting. His work includes paintings, drawings, prints and even musical projects.

Works juxtaposed for the first time
Although the American David Lynch (*1946) and the North German Horst Janssen (1929-1995) probably did not recognise each other, there are striking similarities in their work. The Horst Janssen Museum scholarship holder and curator of this exhibition, Alice Gericke, is bringing the two artists together for the first time. The exhibition ‘My House is on Fire’ presents 36 lithographs as well as film stills and short films by Lynch in a juxtaposition with selected etchings, drawings and photographs by Janssen. The main focus in the juxtaposition of the two artists is on their respective graphic visual language of the ‘uncanny’ - their view of the supposedly familiar, which becomes strange and ambiguous in the twilight. 

Dark dangers in the supposedly safe home
The supposedly safe home, which is invaded by uninvited guests and in whose dark corners dangers lurk, is a motif that often appears in Lynch's work, as is fire, which is both fascinating and dangerous. Janssen also fantasised about the fire at home, which warms but can also devour cities. With his drawings of matchbooks, he allusively stages himself as an igniting manipulator.

Finally, the house in flames is an image of catastrophe and Lynch's large-format lithograph ‘My House is on Fire’ gives the exhibition its title.

With friendly support
We would like to thank the sponsors of this exhibition: the Waldemar Koch Foundation and the Friends and Sponsors of the Horst Janssen Museum e.V.