It's difficult to believe that this show at Ikon is the first retrospective exhibition on the work of Len Lye. Best known for his experimental, colour and movement-based films Lye was particularly interested in promoting movement as core to the language of art. His experiments with kinetic sculpture are the perfect example of this but his passion was for film.
A person obsessed with inclusivity (in all aspects, he was once expelled by the New Zealand colonial administration for living within an indigenous community), it was this inclusivity which led to him to mixing traditional and new media; in fact he would refer to his kinetic sculptures as 'tangible motion sculptures', an oddly-phrased sentence but one that makes sense when broken down word-by-word.
But let's forget about intellectualising Len's work. At the end of the day (and we can be clear that his films are not always exactly audience-friendly) his films are fun. They're bright, they're colourful, they're full of movement and precision. His own personal philosophy was 'Individual Happiness Now' and the possibility of the best in human experience for all! It's a long step away from all this modern, white cube, conceptual art nonsense any day of the week...Hey, at least he might have said so.
This is a thoughtful and engaging exhibition, curated by the Tyler Cann, who oversees the Len Lye Collection at Govett-Brewster Art Gallery, New Zealand, and is sure to be one of the best out-of-London exhibitions of the year.
The Body Electric, Len Lye is at Ikon until 13 February, 2011.
images from Rainbow Dance (1936), Len Lye. copyright British Post Office/Len Lye Foundation/British Film Institute.
