Last night in London, I was honoured to meet the godfather of avant-garde cinema, Jonas Mekas. It was on the eve of a new show at the Serpentine Gallery, highlighting his extraordinary career. His influence can be seen everywhere today, even by those who may not be aware. He pioneered visual diaries, many decades before the Internet was unleashed. He looked at the world in a different way, at a different time and helped shape what we all take for granted now. He worked with many of the truly great artists in cinema, some of whom are featured in this exhibition. A congratulatory note had arrived yesterday, from film maker, John Waters, it said that he would never have had the courage to make movies without seeing Jonas's work.

Jonas will be celebrating his 90th birthday later this month. I want to say, thanks for the inspiration, may you always remain: unique, provocative, daring and innovative.

Nick Rhodes December 4th 2012