Free Radicals

Made without a camera by scratching directly into the emulsion of a black film leader with dental implements and other sharp tools, Free Radicals is a dynamic, rhythmic work. The result is a dancing pattern of flashing lines and marks, as dramatic as lightning in the night sky. Lye’s lines weave their way through various two and three-dimensional permutations as an elemental electrical line evoking creation in its most basic form. The film appeared to 'discover' the form of the DNA molecule ahead of the scientists.