The New Synthesis   (1971-1981)

Early jobs (aside from restaurant worker, substitute teacher & cab driver) included commercial & advertising art, film animation and community activism. Then accessible Video and cable TV came together to create a new medium - and I discovered interactivity.

Hand-held Video Cameras (most notably the Sony PortaPak) first appeared on the scene in the early 70's. The timing couldn't be more perfect. This cheap, "luggable" video camera recorded grainy B&W video on reel-to-reel tape.

A generation of self-styled "VideoFreaks" embraced the new technology as a tool for democratization, social activism and artistic expression.

During this decade I produced advocacy documentaries, performed video art pieces - Sometimes I even got paid for working in the media.

Cable TV was originally just a convenient way to deliver decent reception of broadcast TV signals to out-of-the way places. It was also the leading edge of the movement towards interactivity in the home, the media empowerment of local communities and the deregulation of our dominant media monopolies.

An interesting place to be in those early days.