# What made it psychedelic? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 8, 2009, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-made-it-psychedelic/480407 "2009-01-08T18:47:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2009, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-made-it-psychedelic/480407/41 "2009-01-10T19:35:51Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > Quite a few of them are vintage pieces, and clearly that’s were the more recent work takes its cue from. True. I’m still in awe at the effort that compiling that list must have taken you. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2009, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-made-it-psychedelic/480407/42 "2009-01-10T19:39:34Z")
> [@NineToTheSky](#): > > True. I’m still in awe at the effort that compiling that list must have taken you. I used to do design work for a company called Repsychedelic; not a lot of that was original research. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2009, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-made-it-psychedelic/480407/43 "2009-01-10T19:42:47Z")
> [@NineToTheSky](#): > > I’m sorry - I’m not trying to pick an argument here, but I really can’t recollect any symmetrical examples. [This](http://www.oldhandbills.com/images/060623/Grateful_Dead-Sons_Of_Champlin-Avalon_Ballroom.jpg) is the first image that comes to my mind when I think of psychedelic art. ---
**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2009, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-made-it-psychedelic/480407/44 "2009-01-10T19:42:51Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > Interesting [article](http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/10/arts/dance/10busb.html?_r=1) about one of the many influences on psychedelic design, Busby Berkeley. Yes, very interesting. I have only seen Busby Berkeley’s movies on TV when I was young. In those days we had a black and white TV, and until I read that article I wasn’t aware that his movies were in colour. I’d love to see them in colour now, but I don’t think my local Blockbuster stocks them. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2009, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-made-it-psychedelic/480407/45 "2009-01-10T19:45:49Z")
> [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](#): > > [This](http://www.oldhandbills.com/images/060623/Grateful_Dead-Sons_Of_Champlin-Avalon_Ballroom.jpg) is the first image that comes to my mind when I think of psychedelic art. Ogdamnit: it’s symmetrical. 🙂 You’re not in cahoots with **lissener** , are you? ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2009, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-made-it-psychedelic/480407/46 "2009-01-10T19:51:19Z")
> [@NineToTheSky](#): > > Yes, very interesting. I have only seen Busby Berkeley’s movies on TV when I was young. In those days we had a black and white TV, and until I read that article I wasn’t aware that his movies were in colour. I’d love to see them in colour now, but I don’t think my local Blockbuster stocks them. 🙂 The one that the color pic is taken from, _The Gang’s All Here_, was released–beautifully restored–in a box set this year. Try a library, or an independent video store. ---
**Author:** ![SiXSwordS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@SiXSwordS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SiXSwordS)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2009, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-made-it-psychedelic/480407/47 "2009-01-10T20:09:37Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > .. My theory, they’re too high to come up with a whole idea; half of one is good enough, just do it twice. Looking through your examples it doesn’t seem that symmetry is being used as some kind of filler. It is an integral part of the art work. Some of it doesn’t seem especially inspired, but I don’t see one idea done twice, I see a work that uses symmetry. When you said: Hint: psychedelic art is always symmetrical. I did not think of it as a way of saying that psychedelic artists are lazy. Is that all you meant by it? ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2009, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-made-it-psychedelic/480407/48 "2009-01-10T20:13:59Z")
> [@SiXSwordS](#): > > Looking through your examples it doesn’t seem that symmetry is being used as some kind of filler. It is an integral part of the art work. Some of it doesn’t seem especially inspired, but I don’t see one idea done twice, I see a work that uses symmetry. > > When you said: Hint: psychedelic art is always symmetrical. > > I did not think of it as a way of saying that psychedelic artists are lazy. Is that all you meant by it? No. ---
**Author:** ![SiXSwordS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@SiXSwordS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SiXSwordS)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2009, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-made-it-psychedelic/480407/49 "2009-01-10T20:17:48Z")
Then, what _are_ you hinting at and why does it require that you be so coy about it? ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2009, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-made-it-psychedelic/480407/50 "2009-01-10T20:29:49Z")
> [@SiXSwordS](#): > > Then, what _are_ you hinting at and why does it require that you be so coy about it? Sorry, wasn’t being coy, just annoyed that it’s somehow my responsibility to rethink your assumptions for you. Sorry, cranky. It was a joke. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2009, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-made-it-psychedelic/480407/51 "2009-01-10T21:04:38Z")
> [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](#): > > [This](http://www.oldhandbills.com/images/060623/Grateful_Dead-Sons_Of_Champlin-Avalon_Ballroom.jpg) is the first image that comes to my mind when I think of psychedelic art. For a GD poster that’s some pretty serious sexual innuendo. I do like the picture though. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-made-it-psychedelic/480407.md?page=2)