"Study for Lavaliere" 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.

A combination of print and collage, this work entitled “Study for Lavaliere” condenses the complex processes involved in Thompson’s kite works into a small-scale format. Intricately layered paper elements create an abstract composition of bold, color-blocked shapes, while printed shading overlaid onto the collage achieves a distressed, shadowy effect. Well-placed scraps of found print media add character and texture and a thin black line twists and turns atop other elements, imbuing the work with latent movement. The abstract collage has been set within two antique wood frames.

“Study for Lavaliere,” 2022
Michael Thompson
Monoprint and found paper collage. Framed.

Additional Dimensions:
Without Frame: 14"W x 17"H
Visible Collage: 10"W x 13"H