Len Lye's Universe

[dianavilliers]

Len Lye was a mid 20thC experimental artist in a variety of media, particularly noted for his direct film and kinetic sculpture. This work consists of a steel strap a couple of metres in diameter, fixed in the centre of a bench and a couple of electromagnets concealed in the ends of the bench. Turning the magnets on and off causes the strap to wobble around and every so often hit the ball hanging above it. It was originally called "Loop" but he changed the name when a child told him it sounded like the Universe.
In an almost empty gallery, it is eerie in the extreme.

In this clip, Len explains that this is not the work he intended. This is the scale model of the work he wanted to build.

Comments

[dianavilliers.livejournal.com]

Mmmm. It doesn't really invite interaction. I don't know whether the magnets are switched (pseudo)randomly, or whether they are programmed. But yes - it could be fun to have access to the universe control box.