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Underground > Art, Fashion & Design >

Len Lye

gravity's rainbow

04:30 / 15.10.02

I manage a jazz band and we're currently involved in developing a show with original jazz (written by the band) and the films of Len Lye. We're touring it around Aotearoa (where we're from) and are about to head to Australia - then after that we're heading overseas, aiming at galleries and art festivals, New York, Paris, Budapest are all places so far . . .
what I want to know is : who's heard of Len Lye and who likes him?
without any info from me, whaddya all say?

09:31 / 15.10.02

Is he the guy who made films for the British Post Office back in the 50s? Mad abstract things, with calypso soundtracks and the like? Worked directly on the film? Fantastic stuff, if that's the one, and I imagine it'll be a great show. I can see his films working well with a jazz soundtrack.

Not sure how well known he is outside of film-making/animation circles; I only know about him myself (Christ, I hope I'm talking about the right guy!) through the occassional Channel 4 special on animation, which used to be regular telly events back in the late 80s/early 90s, when there seemed to be a bit of an animation boom, helped greatly by Aardman winning an oscar.

gravity's rainbow

19:57 / 15.10.02

yep - you've got the right guy, but he was making ads much earlier than the fifties, he started in the twenties and kept making animations until he died in the eighties. he also painted, photographed and, best know in his home country, created sculptures.
his short films generally had jazz soundtracks (not all though) so, yeah, the show works brilliantly.
anyone else heard of him???