Thomas Wilfred Begins His Lumia Public Performances

Lumia is an Lumino-kinetic art form invented by Wilfred and performed on a device called a clavilux or “color organ.” These compositions of light were infinitely changing and had the appearance of a colorful aurora borealis. Lumia made Wilfred one of the most famous American artists of the 1920s. He would continue perfecting his craft for decades and was exhibited at MoMA in the influential 15 Americans (1952). Wilfred’s work with light was decades ahead of its time, paving the way for electronic, video and digital generative art, including the work of Nam June Paik.