08. A Color Box (Len Lye, 1935)

[abn666]

This work inspired Walt Disney to his work on Fantasia :D today I'm happy that he saw it back then :)

[WrappedInPlastic]

got to love Len Lye. Makes me proud to be a New Zealander

[timbearcub]

The grandaddy of all VJs, video artists and anyone who puts animation to music *bows*

[tbbeqa]

It's amazing the things I have never known.

[playsol]

boooooooooooooooring

[TheZFactor2]

@playsol Dude, this is experimental animation at some of its best--all those images were drawn directly onto the celluloid film, a task that takes endless hours of effort even for seconds of film.

By calling Len Lye's "Colour Box" boring, you clearly have no respect for the art of experimental film and shouldn't bother wasting your time in this section of YouTube. Some of us would rather not deal with your type.

[tehweine]

@TheZFactor2 It should not be the task of the audience to figure how the film was created, it should stand alone as a work of art which I guess could be said to be boring by our standards.

[JulesLt71]

@tehweine Boring by your standards, not our standards!

[kristenkrofchik]

thank you so much for postin these videos they are amazing. this one just makes me smile involuntarily!

[swingjingle]

Fabulous to have this available here. He was so far ahead of his time.

[Ypipable]

Absolutely...

[imringolovemee]

It feels like you can actually see music notes..

[strenrich]

It's a shame for the bad quality of the video, in a good resolution it looks incredible!! It just fresh paint on celuloide canvas, and scratching to make the lines.

[Chasmodon]

What's getting me is this film seems to have a commercial message for a Post Office jammed in at the end! Oh, if a couple of commercials airing today were like this!

[mizofan]

Len Lye and Norman McLaren should get a lot more attention + credit- that's too often solely given to Brakhage.

[RatPfink66]

Too early.

[harrynicholas]

Try to see the original too - this doesn't do it justice.

[harrynicholas]

Am I right in thinking he used to draw directly onto the film?

[holly84]

Yeah- with this one, he painted directly onto a piece of clear film. If you like this, you ought to watch some of Norman McLaren's stuff. Alot of his earlier work is done in the same way..

[harrynicholas]

Yep, seen it, in fact he might have been who I had in mind - but what I wondered was - directly onto 35mm? I think he did, which makes it mind-boggling it would be hard enough in these days of computers.

[holly84]

I kind of think it seems easier! You just draw directly on, a bit like a flip-book. However, I think I remember reading that, when he made this particular reading, Len Lye didn't stick to individual frames. He just painted right onto the film strip, regardless of where the frames where- just sort of playing around with shapes and patterns etc. But his stuff like "Free Radicals" seems like it was alot more difficult!

[harrynicholas]

That's what I thought. Having to wear reading glasses myself makes me think 'how crazy is that'.

[jencho007]

I saw this at the TATE Modern

[fortyfifthnoodle]

thank you so much for posting this!

[KharTex]

thank you for your subscription!

very interesting vintage stuff :D

really like the swing music!