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.
A combination of print and collage, this work entitled “Reflective Composition (Blue Stamp)” condenses the complex processes involved in Thompson’s kite works into a small-scale format. Composed to a rectangular format that recalls his large-scale kites, the work is a study in abstraction, relying primarily on color to explore qualities of form and texture.
The work consists of two panels of color, each side printed in a mirrored reflection of the other. A central stripe of dark red ink transitions into a vibrant blue, textured with bold, sweeping brushstrokes. Rectangular forms created by ink resist introduce graphic contrast, juxtaposing rigid angularity against organic movement, and an abundance of color against its absence. A collaged element of dark black paper provides additional contrast, suggestive of a postal stamp. Moisture in the inky pigments has finished the work with a wash of subtle texture; as the ink dried and the pigments condensed, a mottled pattern emerged, reminiscent of dew drops or crackled lacquer.
"Reflective Composition (Blue Stamp)," 2024
Michael Thompson
Mono-print. Framed.