"Falls Indigo" 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 “Falls Indigo,” Thompson layers darkly saturated fragments to create a kite that is densely textured and brimming with frenetic energy. Awash with color, the kite frames moments of pattern and form with rich indigo and inky blacks, while a central panel of calligraphy provides a focal point of repetitive motion and rhythm.

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