The Syracuse University Art Museum presents “John Thompson ’72: Infinite Variation” at the Bernard and Louise Palitz Gallery in New York City through Sept. 29. Featuring works that span Thompson’s entire career, from his roots at Syracuse University to his most recent prints, the exhibition examines his distinct approach to nature and printmaking.
Traditional printmakers create custom matrices for each new print, whereas Thompson re-uses existing matrices as building blocks, recombining and reimagining them across compositions. It’s an approach rooted in the studio culture he encountered at Syracuse as a student, where, as he puts it, the message was “experiment, experiment, experiment.”
“Ginger,” 2002, by John Thompson; relief on paper (Photo courtesy of the artist)
The practice, which inspired the exhibition’s title, surfaces a sustained, close observation of nature. Notably, Thompson highlights the waving grasses, vertiginous stalks, and rippling ponds seen throughout the natural world, but specifically in the gardens—including his own—that he loves.
“To think about a world without gardens and flowers and art and music—why bother?” says Thompson. ”There’s an enduring quality in creating artwork … it provides hope for society.”