Inspired by Man Ray’s “rayographs,” Color Cry was made with what Lye called a “shadow cast.” This consists of placing objects directly on film and then exposing the film to create elusive shadow images of the original objects. These “shadowcast film stencils” create complex textures and abstract shapes that are evocative of organic cells and tissues. He set these fragments to a powerful tune called “Fox Chase.” Written and played on the harmonica by blind blues musician Sonny Terry, the tune simulates a fox hunt (“more like a lynch chase”) according to Lye. (MoMA Circulating Film Library Catalog)