Len Lye: Motion Sketch

Drawing Papers #115

by Gregory Burke, Tyler Cann, Len Lye (Artist)

The career of Len Lye (1901–1980) was marked by a lifelong fascination with movement and an aspiration to compose motion; the movement of the drawing hand was an important touchstone for works in various media. In New York, Lye is now well known for his animated experimental films. In the 1920s, however, Lya began to make what he termed "motion sketches"--abstract drawings that attempted to render the movement of his subjects, rather than their appearance. Motion Sketch reintroduces Lye’s multidimensional practice specifically in relation to drawing. Lye’s kinesthetic approach to drawing--related to Surrealist automatism and anticipating aspects of Abstract Expressionism--also informed his practice in painting, photography, film and sculpture. Not limited to works on paper, this publication instead reveals how Lye’s concept of "doodling" underpinned his approach to much of his work.

Genres: Art

104 pages, Paperback

First published April 30, 2014

About the author

Gregory Burke (born 1968) is a Scottish playwright from Rosyth, Fife, Scotland.

Gregory Burke's first play was Gagarin Way, set in the factories of West Fife. His play, Black Watch, for the National Theatre of Scotland, debuted at the 2006 Edinburgh Festival, meeting with critical acclaim, and has since been performed throughout Scotland and has also toured theatres in London, Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago. He has also written Occy Eyes, The Straits, Unsecured, On Tour, Liar and Shell shocked. His most recent play was Hoors, which opened at the Traverse Theatre on 1 May 2009.

His play Black Watch won the Writers' Guild of Great Britain Award for Best Play, the South Bank Show Theatre Award in 2007 and the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play in 2009.