These melodies and symphonies of light in nature are admittedly pleasing or impressive as the case may be, but are they as appealing as music, poetry, painting, or sculpture? The consensus of opinion of a large group of average persons might indicate a negative reply, but the combined opinion of this group is not so valuable as the opinion of a colorist or of an artist who has sensed the wonders of light. The unprejudiced opinion of artists is that light is a powerfully expressive and impressive medium. The psychologist will likely state that the emotive value of light or color is not comparable to the appeal of an excellent dinner or of many other commonplace things. But he has experimented only with single colors or with simple patterns and his subjects are selected more or less at random from the multitude. What would be his conclusion if he examined painters and others who have developed their sensibilities to a deep appreciation of light and color? It is certain that the painter who picks up a purple petal fallen from a rose and places it upon a green leaf is as thrilled by the powerful vibrant color-chord as the musician who hears an exquisite harmony of sounds.
Music has been presented to civilized mankind in an organized manner for ages and the fundamental physical basis of modern music is a thousand years old. Would the primitive savage appreciate the modern symphony orchestra? Even the majority of civilized beings prefer the modern ragtime or jazz to the exquisite art of the symphony. An appreciation of the opera and the symphony is reached by educational methods extending over long periods. An appreciation of the expressiveness of light cannot be expected to be realized by any short-cut. Most persons to-day enjoy the melodramatic "movie" more than the drama and relatively few experience the deep appeal of the fine arts. Surely the symphony of light cannot be justly condemned because of a lack of appreciation and understanding of it, for it has not been introduced to the public. Furthermore, the expressiveness of music is still indefinite at best despite the many centuries of experimenting on the part of musicians.
If poetry is to be believed, the symphonies of light as rendered by nature in the sunsets, in the aurora borealis, and in other sky-effects of great magnitude have deeply impressed the poet. If his descriptions are to be accepted at their face-value, the melodies of light rendered in the precious stone, in the ice-crystal, and in the iridescence of bird-plumage please his finer sensibilities. If he is sincere, mobile light is a seductive agency.
The painter has contributed little of direct value in developing the music of light. He is concerned with an instantaneous expression. He waits for it patiently and, while waiting, learns to appreciate the fickleness of mood in nature, but when he fixes one of these moods he has contributed very little to the art of mobile light. Unfortunately the art schools teach the student little or nothing pertaining to color for color's sake. When the student is capable of drawing fairly well and is acquainted with a few stereotyped principles of color-harmony he is sent forth to follow in the footsteps of past masters. He may be seen at the art museum faithfully copying a famous painting or out in the fields stalking a tree with the hopes of an embryo Corot. The world moves and has only a position in the rank and file for imitators. Occasionally an artist goes to work with a vim and indulges in research, thereby demonstrating originality in two respects. Painting is just as much a field for research as light-production.
Recently experiments are being made in the production of color-harmonies devoid of form. Surely there is a field for pure color-composition and this the field of the painter which leads toward the art of mobile light. Many of the formless paintings of the present day which pass under the banner of this ism or that are merely experiments in the expressiveness of light. Being formless, they are devoid of subject in the ordinary sense and cannot be more or less than a fixed expression of light. Naturally they have received much criticism and have been ridiculed, but they can expect nothing else until they are understood. They cannot be understood until mankind learns their language and then they must be understandable. In other words, there are impostors gathered around the sincere research-artist because the former have neither the ability to paint for a living nor the inclination to forsake the comparative safety of the mystery of art for the practical world where their measure would be quickly taken. This army of camp-followers will not advance the art of mobile light, but the sincere seekers after the principles of light-expression who form the foundation of the various isms may contribute much.
The painter will always be available with his finer sensibility to appreciate and to aid in developing the art of mobile light, but his direct contribution appears most likely to come from the present chaos of experiments in pure color-composition, in the psychology of light, or, more broadly, in the expressiveness of light. The decorator and the designer of gowns and costumes do not arrogate to themselves the name "artist," but they are daily creating something which is leading toward a fuller appreciation of the expressiveness of light. If they do not contribute directly to the development of the art of mobile light, they are at least aiding in developing what may eventually be an appreciative public.
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.