In 1938 Max Bill, the Swiss Painter and pupil of Kandinsky at the Bauhaus, wrote an article on "Concrete Art" for the Swiss periodical Das Werk, and asked Kandinsky to contribute one on the same subject. Kandinsky responded positively, but since it was not possible to obtain a color reproduction of Animated Stability at the time, the essay was not published then. As always, Kandinsky's article is somewhat esoteric (obscure) in its wording but very clear in its meaning:

"A rigid schematic construction: two emphasized verticals. At the upper right a circle—a form which is hard and soft, rigid and slack at the same time, and which shows concentric and eccentric energies. In this case the concentric energy is underlined by the deep violet color of the circle and by the adjoining green. The somewhat poisonous green color accentuates the depth of the violet and also its concentric tendency.

The combination of those two colors and the combination of rounded and angular forms represents the strongest accent in the painting.

Transpositions [as in music] have been used with great economy: several oblique square and oval shapes, one of them being the big red square in the lower left.

The combination of white, black, and red within the red square represents the second emphasis; it is mainly brought about by the oblique position of the square.

A discreet relationship is created between the two main blacks as indicated by the pointed line in the [accompanying] sketch. This force works in the diagonal and thus reduces the stronger and smaller horizontal-vertical relationships.

The three tall vertical rectangles (from left to right: white, black and green), being of minor importance, have mostly thin horizontal and a very few diagonal lines. In this way, gentler relationships are created.

Several free shapes, last but not least the lower sharp point, serve to soften the rigid construction and enhance the rhythm.

Thus, the hard stability is animated."