Hugh McSpedden at The Light Show. Photo courtesy of Amanda Gibson.
Projection art began with small surface areas, low level light, ingenious imagery and intimacy. As lights became more powerful, lenses sharper and projectors more robust artists like Hugh McSpedden flourished, particularly at a time when musicians were wanting to make sensual impact with both their music and what ever visuals were possible, otherwise known today as psychedelia. Hugh shoved all sorts of stuff between beams of light and lenses, he poured dyes, all forms of heatable fluids over glass plates to have them shatter until the right combination of materials were harnessed. Bands were drenched in colourful, oily patterns and audiences were, like, “wow”!