Notes/Observations on Len Lye's Rhythms
by Lily Frame
- The introduction is disorienting because of the movement of the lines. Perhaps this could be a reflection of Len Lye's attempt to briefly convert his audience to Synesthesians.
- On particular occasions, some frames are exhibited as close-ups on one line. This is significant because it indicated when when a solo was performed. As the instrument played varying notes the close-up of the singular line moved fractionally. This minuscule movement of this singular line communicates that either the melody, rhythm, or tempo have been adjusted by the artist.
- SYNESTHESIA- seeing the sound through visual elements! Len Lye created Rhythms, as if he had Synesthesia, by accenting colors as the visual elements of the music for the audience. Synesthesia can be an advantage in this case because they can visually identify notes, keys, and pitches through movement and colors.
- Len Lye's dense framing indicates that multiple instruments were being played. From the standpoint of Synesthesia this idea is comprehensible because they can visually identify the sounds of notes-- even if it is more than one instrument.
- As the song's melody changed the colors became more vibrant. There were more instruments involved when the melody changed, thus the framing grew dense and more colorful. It was as if the sounds that were created to change the melody triggered different colors.
- Len Lye strategically created Rhythms in 2D to further convey Synesthesia. For example, Synesthesia effects all five of our senses, therefore, it impacts one's spatiotemporal relations. For those with severe Synesthesia, it is possible to lose depth perception thus seeing the world in the two dimensional.
