Len Lye: Motion Sketch (Drawing Center)

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.