Passionate about art and technology in equal measure, Jonathan has spent his working life harnessing technological innovation to his artistic vision. For decades Smeeton has been a major influence in shaping modern lighting design. His techniques have become standard for operations worldwide. After an education in the Royal Navy and while at art school in London, England, he built his first lightshow. Used in London clubs UFO and Middle Earth. He first attracted attention in the early 1970's when, under the pseudonym "Liquid Len and the Lensmen", he produced ground breaking lightshows for the seminal rock band Hawkwind. As mega-groups moved into mega stadiums, Jonathan's production designs moved to the forefront of the business, where they have remained for the past fourty years.
Jonathan's creative vision and techological know-how has created some of the most brilliant and original stage productions in today's music and television business. Always ahead of the trend, Smeeton gained early expertise with video at BBC Television in London, which became invaluable with the advent of MTV and artists' need for both promotional and feature-length concert videos. Jonathan's work in the '90's included lighting many architectural interiors and exteriors where the brief called for lighting to create mood, drama, a sense of the extra-ordinary.... A brief glance at Jonathan's client list gives you a "Who's Who" of musical artists through four decades.
His experience as a teacher gained in the workplace and from teaching for some for the world's leading manufactures of automated lighting has led him to forming his unique workshop learning experience. As Production Designer to some of the greatest names in music he has always been found teaching complex lighting techniques to lighting directors as part of the job. The obvious extention his very own school.
Currently working on his own project, a multi-media event called "In Seach of Space" and a couple of stageplay productions and always refining his learning center, Smeeton's usually upto something. So stay tuned for more.......................... Or click on the NEWS button.
