Zizz!: The Life and Art of Len Lye, in His Own Words

by Len Lye, Roger Horrocks (Editor)

Len Lye was startlingly original and endlessly inventive. Scottish poet Alastair Reid called the New Zealand-born filmmaker, kinetic sculptor, painter, and poet “the least boring person who ever existed.” Today Lye’s work is held in major galleries around the world. In this captivating book Lye’s biographer, Roger Horrocks, weaves the artist’s writings into a memoir of his fascinating life. Lye spent much of his life creating innovative art around the world, including New Zealand, London, New York, and Puerto Rico. Anyone interested in modern art and artists of the 20th century will be fascinated by these insights into Lye’s mind and art, which are enriched throughout the book with visually striking illustrations that capture the essence of Lye’s work.

200 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2015

About the author

Leonard Charles Huia Lye was a New Zealand artist known primarily for his experimental films and kinetic sculpture. His films are held in archives including the New Zealand Film Archive, British Film Institute, Museum of Modern Art in New York City, and the Pacific Film Archive at University of California, Berkeley. Lye's sculptures are found in the collections of the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Albright-Knox Art Gallery and the Berkeley Art Museum. Although he became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1950, much of his work went to New Zealand after his death, where it is housed at the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery in New Plymouth.

As a writer, Len Lye produced a body of work exploring his theory of IHN (Individual Happiness Now). He also wrote a large number of letters and poems. He was a friend of Dylan Thomas, and of Laura Riding and Robert Graves (their Seizin Press published No Trouble, a book drawn from Lye's letters to them, his mother, and others, in 1930). The NZEPC (New Zealand Electronic Poetry Centre) website contains a selection of Lye's writings, which are just as surprising and experimental as his work in other media. One of his theories was that artists attempt to reproduce themselves in their works, which he exposited in an essay complete with visual examples.

Abridged from Wikipedia

Reviews

[Grant McDougall · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic primer on the life and work of this unique, highly innovative artist. You get a very good overview of Lye, both as a artist and a person.
The short, sharp introductory page of each chapter articulates its focus superbly.
The mixture of Horrocks' own writing and quotes from Lye is well-balanced, insightful and relevant.
This is a great book to read before starting Len Lye - A Biography, Horrocks' excellent, indepth account of the artist.

[Jamie Teller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice little introduction to one of my favorite experimental filmmakers, who interests and accomplishments extended to kinetic art, motion theory, poetry, and a good deal more. It’s not as comprehensive as a serious film student might wish (it feels like the kind of book you’d pick up in an art museum gift shop) but it offers enough of Lye’s distinctive voice and perspective to be worth reading.

[Romy Hooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a stallion of a man and artist. Thanks to a wonderful writer of television and theatre, I was gifted this book. Now I'm planning a roadie to the museum. Gosh darn we're lucky.

[Catarina Gutierrez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful tribute. To hear his own weird words was incredible.

[Baaska Baaska · Rating 4 out of 5]

Сонирхолтой ном