Thomas Wilfred is a pioneer in the world of light art. His work as a scientist, inventor, and artist, led to his creation of the Clavilux, a mechanical device that reflects light in order to create audiovisual performances he named Lumia. This invention of an entirely new medium of artistic production challenged the views of art as a discipline only defined to painting held at the time. His beautiful obsession with his passion to use light as a medium for the exploration of space and time led to his isolation from the world, but also led to his perseverance in the discovery of something revolutionary, light art.
His inspiration for his different Clavilux machines stems from his interest in the new ideas of interstellar space introduced by Einstein’s scientific theories. His beliefs supported the idea that an artistic experience with a scientific background is necessary in order to make these abstract ideas reachable to the general audience. Through different simulations of how the universe would look like through a telescope, as well as simulations of how essential the movement of light is to the movement of the universe, he created a new musical and visual form. He is the pioneer of this entire discipline.
His Clavilux machine not only functioned as a decoration for the home but could also produce the Lumia art which he is so famous for. His device contained a switch and motor, which would control a lightbulb, which would then pass its light through various color wheels and bounce off reflectors. These reflectors were polished stainless steel cans with different dents that created an ephemeral atmosphere of light. This machine had various knobs that controlled movement, color, and brightness which allowed Wilfred to work with them in a live performance setting. During his early years of creation, he had many live performances in very intimate settings, but as he progressed, he aimed to create a more lasting performance.
Overall, Thomas Wilfred is a pioneer in his field for being the father of light art in America. His contributions are very much overseen in the contemporary perspective, but that doesn’t mean his efforts were not essential to the development of light as an artistic medium.