Liquid Light Show

Inspired by the colors, textures and sounds of 1960s psychedelia, we knew this wine needed an authentic label. So we went to Bill Ham, the father of the liquid light show.

First, a history lesson. Nobody is certain of exactly when or why, but sometime in 1965, Ham began experimenting with colored mineral oils, light and overhead projectors to create colorful, kinetic backdrops to accompany progressive concerts and theatric performances. Light art was born.

Ham's team, called Light Sound Dimension (LSD), would combine different color mineral oils and dyes with alcohol in clock cover glasses. The heat from the overhead projector lamp would cause them to swirl, pulse and bubble. The results would be projected on a screen behind acts like the Grateful Dead and Bo Diddley.

After a stint in the military and fine arts college, Mississippi-born Ham moved to San Francisco in 1959, just in time for the counterculture movement of the 1960s. After touring the world for nearly 5 decades, Ham transitioned his light shows into gallery art and collaborative pieces, which you can read more about here.

Now through August 20th, you can experience Ham's liquid light shows firsthand at The Summer of Love Experience: Art, Fashion, and Rock & Roll at the de Young Museum in San Francisco.