Visual Research: Responses to Music

Man Ray

(1890-1876) American visual artist based in France

Contributed to the Dada and Surrealist movements

Used a variety of media in his work, including painting and photography (fashion/portrait). He was well known for his work with photograms, or as he called them "rayographs".

  

Len Lye

(1901-1980) New Zealand artist best-known for his experimental films and kinetic sculpture. 

He experimented with puppet animation because cartoon animation had come to be dominated by Walt Disney; many European film-makers turned to puppets as an alternative. 

 

Norman McLaren

(1914-1987) Scottish/Canadian animator, director and producer.

Pioneer for hand-drawn, drawn-on-film animation, visual music, abstract filmmaking, pixilation effects and graphical sound

An animation film, made without the use of a camera, in which "boogie" played by Albert Ammons and "doodle" drawn by Norman McLaren combine to make a rhythmic, brightly coloured film experiment.

Stills from Norman McLaren's "A Phantasy in Colours". The use of colour, shape and varying mediums & materials fuse together to produce a hectic yet delicate response to the classical music.