Happy Moments

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 “doodles” 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.