MOTIF XIII
2011
watercolor and gouache on paper, mounted on laser-cut aluminum
40 3/4 x 25 1/2 inches

The mechanics of image production are the subject of much of Cheyney Thompson’s work. The artist’s Motif series derives from his own research, aspects of which can be distilled into a single sign or logo. In the case of Motif XIII, the source image is a flower drawn by French engineer and inventor Pierre Bezier, creator of the Bezier Curve, which has become one of the fundamental computer drawing techniques used in programs like Photoshop and Illustrator. It is important to note that the elegant silhouette of the flower used here does not come from nature, but is Thompson’s painting…of Bezier’s drawing…of how a computer might create the image of a flower. Thompson is based in New York, and his work was included in the 2008 and 2009 Whitney Biennials and the Greater New York 2005 exhibition at P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center/The Museum of Modern Art in New York, as well as the 2003 Venice Biennale.

estimated retail value:  $12,000

opening bid:  $8,000

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