The artist paints a “still-life,” the decorator creates a color-harmony of abstract or conventional forms, and the costumer produces a color-composition in textiles.  The decorator and costumer approach closer to pure color-composition than the artist in his still-life.  The latter is a grouping of objects primarily for their color-notes.  Why bother with a banana when a yellow-note is desired?  Why utilize the abstract or conventional forms of the decorator?  Why not follow this lead further to the less definite forms employed by the costumer?  Why not eliminate form even more completely?  This is an important point and an interesting lead, for to become rid of form has been one of the perplexing problems encountered by those who have dreamed of an art of mobile light.

The painter who uses line and color imitatively has perhaps acquired skill in depicting objects and more or less appreciation of the beautiful.  But if he is to be creative and to produce a higher art he must be able to use line and color without reference to objects.  He thus may aid in the development of an abstract art which is the higher art and at the same time aid in educating the public to appreciate pure color-harmonies.  From these momentary expressions of light and from the experience gained, the mobile colorist would receive material aid and his productions would be viewed by a more receptive audience or rather “optience” as it may be called.  The development of taste for abstract art is needed in order that the art of mobile light may develop and, incidentally, an appreciation of the abstract in art is needed in all arts.

Science has contributed much by way of clearing the decks.  It has produced the light-sources and the apparatus for controlling light.  It has analyzed the physical aspects of color-mixture and has accumulated extensive data pertaining to color-vision.  It has pointed out pitfalls and during recent years has been delving further by investigating the psychology of light and color.  The latter field is looked to for valuable information, but, after all, there is one way of making progress in the absence of data and that is to make attempts at the production of impressive effects of mobile light.  Some of these have been made, but unfortunately they have been heralded as finished products.

Perhaps the most general mistake made is in relating sounds and colors by stressing a mere analogy too far.  Notwithstanding the vibratory nature of the propagation of sound and light, this is no reason for stressing a helpful analogy.  After all it is the psychological effect that is of importance and it is absurd to attribute any connection between light-waves and sound-waves based upon a relation of physical quantities.  No space will be given to such a relation because it is so absurdly superficial; however, the language of music will be borrowed with the understanding that no relation is assumed.