Free Radicals
A visually hypnotic abstract film that pairs frenetic scratched imagery with African percussion to create a meditative exploration of pure form and rhythm.
In this powerful abstract film with a soundtrack of African drum music, Lye scratched "white ziggle-zag-splutter scratches" on to black leather, using a variety of tools from saw teeth to arrow heads. The first version of the film won a major award at the International Experimental Film Festival Held in Brussels in 1958 in association with the World's Fair. Stan Brakhage described the film as "an almost unbelievably immense masterpiece".
Essence
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Hidden gem
Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.
