Amie McClean

Len Lye’s Colour Box is another great example of Len Lye’s work with the General Post Office. It’s another experimental film which allows the audience to view an advert for the post office without being dictated to by a standard narration.

Len Lye’s colour box is an assortment of colours and designs moving around the screen. The objects on the screen seem to move even though they are stationary. This kinetic movement is achieved through the vibration of the objects or the designs on the screen and also by changing the position of objects on the screen.

The short film itself relates closely to the Post Office by seeming as though the designs have been created by ink stamps on the screen. This creates the idea of ink in the audience’s mind, which will allow the audience to relate this to the Post Office.

Towards the end of the film we are shown prices and weights, which is the direct link to the Post Office. This allows the audience to finally understand what the short film is about. It also allows the audience to relate the ink stamp like shapes to the Post Office. The audience are then able to make their own assumptions about the film without being dictated to via a narrative storyline.