The link between current digitally produced audiovisualisation trends and 1960’s light shows is completely transparent in this current kickstarter campaign to produce high definintion digital files of archival Joshua Light Show light and ink animations as source material for contemporary vjays and projection artists.
The Joshua Light Show- Liquid Loops 2 !- explanation and examples by Joshua White
The current trends in projection art, mapping animations to landscape features, sculptural and built environments often include spectacular transformations of place and confusion of our sense perception. Creating altered or heightened states of perception has been a key quest for many commercial and experimental films and definitely a theme of psychedelic light shows ( or trips without the acid)
Glen McKay’s work originally produced as light shows for rock groups in the 60’s and 70’s was in fact staged as an exhibition title “Altered states” at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art in 1999. “Each projection emphasizes light and time as content
for art, explores the changing nature of temporal perception over the past several
decades, and expresses inquiry into the philosophical notions of transparency and illusion.”
Look out for Roger Corman’s direction of a film written by Jack Nicholson, “The Trip” 1967 This film attempted to take a neutral stance on the then topical issue of LSD hallucinations, of most interest to Anim Lab is its use of animated light performed live on the film sets as well as animated in post production the dvd also features some behind the scenes and contemporary looking back on the processes and content by the director, actor and light show technician/artist.
Interesting practical and technical insights;
How to create a psychedelic light show ?
and
An Annotated Visual Bibliography of Sources for Art of Concert Lighting
Search for Joshua Light show on you tube and you will likely find some clips of live performances that illustrate some of the oil and ink projection methods used in many light shows in the 60’s and 70’s and even current day performances
More detail on Jordan Belsons work
Meanwhile in Australia , since 1968, Hugh McSpedden has created similar light shows for all sorts of festivals and music events , he has been a contributor to the Gertrude St Projection Festival
Garton finishes this article with the following reminder;
“creativity is about curiosity, experimentation and the daring-do to break things and start again” – – See more at: http://agarton.org/blog/blog/why-is-the-light-show-kind-of-important/#sthash.qeVZzhEq.dpuf
Animation Lab 