"Study in Stripes" Kite by Michael Thompson

Based in Chicago, IL, contemporary artist Michael Thompson creates unique kites, collages and mixed media works assembled from material fragments of past and present collected in his travels. His ongoing series of large-scale kites bridge the gap between flat art and sculpture, each crafted of split bamboo frames covered with stretched canvas and a collage of vintage ephemera – including kimonos, obis, paintings, scrolls, drawings or anything with a story to tell.

In this bamboo kite entitled “Study in Stripes,” Thompson arranges sheer kimono silks to explore the interplay of bold shapes and iterative lines. Densely patterned stripes clash with visual friction, while blocks of color disrupt the composition like physical obstacles. Unlike other works by Thompson, the kite employs minimal use of color, keeping to a palette of black, creme-white and the occasional pop of red. The result is a collage of forms that is graphic and high-contrast, reveling in the tenuous balance between light and dark, order and disorder.

"Study in Stripes," 2025
Michael Thompson
Split bamboo, canvas, and silk collage.