"Dancing Til Dawn" Kite by Michael Thompson

Chicago-based artist Michael Thompson creates unique kites crafted from split bamboo frames covered with stretched muslin and a collage of vintage Asian ephemera - including fragments of fabric, scrolls, drawings, and books collected during his travels.

In this kite entitled "Dancing Til Dawn," Thompson aligns fine kimono silks to create a dreamy composition of crème whites and richly saturated indigos. A gentle gradient on the left side softens the starkly contrasting colors and imparts a misty, dream-like glow. At the center of the kite is an intricate silk brocade panel of cranes in flight, their wings depicted as fans of feathers and flower blossoms. Interlaced with metallic threads for a beautiful iridescence, the opulent textile contrasts the surrounding indigo-blue silks and catches the light beautifully.

Thompson has earned an international reputation for his kite works, an engrossing project initiated by the artist more than a decade ago.

Split bamboo, muslin, silk, pigments.