The light shows that accompanied many musical acts were an important dimension of the psychedelic phenomenon, and they reached their most ambitious and innovative form in 1967–69 with the Joshua Light Shows. By rear projecting multiple overlapping light sources, Joshua White and his collaborators created a kind of live collage that turned the concert hall into an immersive environment. The projection shown here is a typical example of an improvised manipulation of oil, water, and glycerin dating from around 1967. During the concerts, films of such improvisations were often combined with live light performances and color slide images projected from multiple carousels.
Gallery label from From the Collection: 1960-69, March 26, 2016 - March 12, 2017.