John Stead
Composer and son et lumiere artistson et lumieres
During the development and composition of the music for the Tidal Barrier Event in 1984, I became interested in the use of lighting and installation with music, and spent some time researching the art form of son et lumiere. Performing with the sound artist Max Eastley, utilizing 'sound to light' lasers, led me to larger events. Works involving the use of lasers, pyrotechnics ( such as Celebrations in 1989 ), film and still images projected on enormous screens, were used to celebrate the opening of buildings, civic events and civil engineering projects throughout the country, with audiences of up to 12,000 at a single performance.
Since 1994, the son et lumieres have incorporated hybridised 3D fractal geometries, complex projection screen installations ( developed for the installation The Persistence of Memory ) and the spatialisation of music over multiple loudspeaker systems. Fractals (1994) was made possible with a Gustav Holst Foundation Award, whilst Chaos of Rainbows (1997) was made possible with a National Lottery award through the Arts Council of England and Hull City Council.
Recent son et lumieres have been installed in sacred spaces, exploring the relationship between nature and spirituality - Patterns and Emanations performed at Day of Light at Lastingham is a recent example.
© J.S. 2006