These works are an example of artists changing the potential of a medium. They have completely deviated from the intended purpose of 16mm film, by working directly onto it, and in the case of Brakhage, pressing his subject between two pieces of film before contact printing it.
Lye's use of colour and pattern in 'Kaleidoscope' makes it difficult to immediately pinpoint when it was made. If the original audio (Don Barreto and his Cuban Orchestra) was replaced, the film could easily be assumed to be from another era. Considering the social climate at the time of its completion; the global depression of the 1930s, this bright and cheery film seems out of place, the only telltale time-placing feature is the product placement for Churchmen Cigarettes (Lye animated stencilled cigarette shapes onto the film), who sponsored Lye to make the film in 1935.
Stan Brakhage's 'Mothlight' contrasts Lye's lighthearted advertising campaign. His colour palette is dictated by, and limited to, the neutral tones from the natural materials he collected (moth wings, flower petals and blades of grass). The tone of the piece remains melancholic with just the sound of the projector on the recording. Where Lye's 'Kaleidoscope' appears psychedelic, the mixture of abstract shapes and perfectly formed wings in 'Mothlight' create a sombre dreamlike film, which perfectly mirrors the atmosphere you imagine Brakhage to be working in, when you learn about his living situation during the making of the film.
These scratch films reminded me of Carine Khalife's animation 'Blown Minded', which creates a similar dreamlike effect to 'Kaleidoscope' and 'Mothlight', despite being oil paintings on glass rather than film. Her larger medium (sheets of glass rather than 16mm film), allows her subjects to be both abstract whilst being more
narrative. The purpose and tone of the piece changed as her films were used as music videos for the band Young Galaxy.The audio accompanying films has a massive impact on the tone of the overall piece. For example, the combination of fast moving
bright colours and shapes with a cheery upbeat song in Len Lye's 'Kaleidoscope', makes the piece ideal for advertising. Whereas Brakhage's 'Mothlight', which doesn't have additional audio, appears more serious. The lack of music and the chosen medium (moth wings and natural materials), makes the slide transition more obvious to the viewer, meaning the piece appears more methodical and almost scientific, whereas the music and fluid animation in 'Kaleidoscope' and 'Blown Minded' give the pieces rhythm.
Images and GIFs sources;
(http://indiemusicfilter.com/video-blown-minded-by-young-galaxy, http:// rebloggy.com/Carine+ McCandless/search/bestmatch/page/, http://www. artmattermagazine.com/not-watching-eurovision-neither-are-we-heres/, http://gifmovie.tumblr. com/page/574, http://hcl.harvard.edu/hfa/films/ 2007novedec/lye.html, http://criterionreflectio ns.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/mothlight-1963-184.ht)
