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Happy Moments

By Len Lye
Brief Description
Len Lye, the artist and film-maker, wrote this colourful account of his early years in New Zealand. It covers his most intense experiences during the first two-dozen years of his life, including his childhood years at the Cape Campbell lighthouse, his passion for drawing, his exploration... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
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Len Lye, the artist and film-maker, wrote this colourful account of his early years in New Zealand. It covers his most intense experiences during the first two-dozen years of his life, including his childhood years at the Cape Campbell lighthouse, his passion for drawing, his exploration of sex, and his discovery of modern art.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Len Lye, the artist and film-maker, wrote this colourful account of his early years in New Zealand. It covers his most intense experiences during the first two-dozen years of his life, including his childhood years at the Cape Campbell lighthouse, his passion for drawing, his exploration of sex, and his discovery of modern art. Lye documented his experiences in crisp, rhythmic sentences, full of sensations and feelings, described by the poet Alistair Reid as "beautifully transparent and heart-stopping."

Happy Moments is the remarkable life story of a street-wise young man who grew up in severe poverty but had the energy and vision to become a highly creative artist. Lye's text is accompanied by many of his unique drawings, or β€œdoodles” as he called them, and also by personal photographs. Happy Moments is a lively, down-to-earth record of early experiences and a rich introduction to Lye's original approach to art.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781067083229

Publisher: Atuanui Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 01 July 2026

Country: New Zealand

Imprint: Atuanui Press

Illustration: 18 B&W Drawings and Photographs

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 7.0mm

Width: 145.0mm

Height: 220.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 72

About the Author

Len Lye was a pioneer of kinetic sculpture and experimental filmmaking and is one of Aotearoa's most celebrated artists. The Len Lye Centre, the only single artist gallery in New Zealand, forms a wing of the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery in New Plymouth. Lye's works are held in the collections of several major art museums including the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and the Whitney Museum in New York, the Albright-Knox Gallery in Buffalo, and the Art Institute of Chicago. Major repositories of Lye's films include Nga Taonga Sound & Vision, the British Film Institute, and the Museum of Modern Art.

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