"Twilight (Just Before Dawn)" 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.

Entitled "Twilight (Just Before Dawn)," this kite finds visual cohesion in a patchwork of Japanese fabric scraps, including darkly saturated indigos, woven ikats, printed silks and simple stripes and plaids. The kite's design is informed by traditional Boro stitching, wherein the usable portions of worn-out fabrics are carefully mended and stitched together to create new and unexpected textiles. More than just a cost-saving measure, Boro stitching lovingly honors the original materials by giving them new life. The deep midnight-blue coloring of this kite evokes the moody atmosphere of dark skies just before daybreak, lightened only by hazy clouds and rays of moonlight.

"Twillight (Just Before Dawn)," 2022
Michael Thompson
Split bamboo, canvas, found paper, silk, pigments.