Estelle Thompson

Kicks and Constructed Aberrations

In this solo show Kicks and Constructed Aberrations - a selection of fabric collages exhibited for the first time - Estelle Thompson introduces an increasingly important development in her work. Although primarily known for her paintings she has always created paper collages and papiers découpés as a form of drawing, to orchestrate form, colour, surface and space.

These recent collages continue to explore the fundamental dualities of considered structure and free-play. The tension between order and chaos is evident in their construction which requires meticulous assemblage, gluing and sewing while incorporating speed of layout and swift thinking to find visual “correctness” or quiddity. These collages stand out for the way they manage to transform the physical material through a core understanding of the corporeal, spiritual and political references of fabric.

Estelle Thompson is a British artist celebrated for her abstract paintings and public commissions to incorporate colour in the built environment. She has exhibited extensively since 1986, including solo and group shows across Europe, Southeast Asia, the USA and the Caribbean. Public collections include the Arts Council of Great Britain, the British Council, the British Museum and the New York Public Library. She features in Phaidon’s Painting Today and a monograph, Estelle Thompson, was published by Merrell in 2001.