"Dune" 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 muslin and a collage of vintage ephemera – including kimonos, obis, paintings, scrolls, drawings, metal leaf, bleeding paper, book pages, or anything with a story to tell.

In this elegant kite entitled “Dune,” Thompson aligns fine kimono silk to create a dream-like landscape of dark, rolling hills. Washes of dark color become mountainous foothills or sand dunes, fading softly into a field of light brown as though receding into the mist. Despite the graphic contrast, this balance of light and dark has a quiet serenity and blends effortlessly into neutral interiors.

"Dune," 2024
Michael Thompson
Split bamboo, canvas, silk, pigments.