Trade Tattoo

Commissioned by the Post Office to make a film Len Lye gave them something that must have blown them out of the water at the time.

He made a film that expressed the pace and rhythm of the working environment of the General Post Office at the time. With the daily delivery, steam trains leaving stations for destinations up and down the country, the movement and frenetic pace

With his use of hand toned scenes, etched film, jump cuts, colours etc he make a film that mesmerises us on the level of "Cheloveks kinoapparatom" and "Berlin: Die Sinfonie der Großstadt".

A film that still seems fresh and vibrant, that contains images that will stay with you for a long time after. I cannot understand why this great mans work does not get the kudos it so richly deserves.

Trade Tattoo is one of Len Lye's most entertaining experimental shorts. Placed against documentary footage and silhouettes of various trains and workers quickly mailing various packages, it's a kaleidescope of images with various typed-words printed on screen like: "The rhythm of trade is maintained by the mails" over and over again. With music by the Lecuona Band, you can't help but be overwhelmed by all the collage of images that Lye bombards you with. Having been intrigued by Cartoon Brew's item of Lye's The Peanut Vendor on YouTube, I had to see the rest of his work just to find how innovative he really was. I'm very glad I did and I highly recommend to anyone who loves the experimental to seek all of Lye's work out!