Len Lye: Sky Snakes
13 Apr - 17 Nov 2024
Len Lye is known for his lifelong preoccupation with movement, and the idea of making motion tangible.
Sky Snakes is one of Len Lye’s most captivating and sensorial kinetic installations. When dormant, its suspended ball chains evoke the wayward threads of a dew drop-covered spider web. When the work is activated, it immerses audiences within its ensemble of writhing, dancing forms ̶ sequences of motion which unfold as a choreographed performance.
Lye is known for his lifelong preoccupation with movement, and the idea of making motion tangible. Sky Snakes uses an electrical current as an artistic material, harnessing its interaction with stainless-steel and brass to produce evolving forms. Mains power flows through a motorised system within the gallery ceiling to induce high speed energetic waves into the sculpture, resulting in chain rotations. A braking mechanism creates rhythmical moments of punctuation. Through this process, the artist is able to visualise and compose a succession of shapes known as harmonic waves.
Sky Snakes performs for approximately 10 minutes every half hour.