Margot Voorhies Thompson
We are pleased to present the paintings of Oregon artist, Margot Voorhies Thompson, whose exploration of alphabets is the basis of her abstract imagery. Two recent trips to Italy have fueled an interest in Italianate architectural spaces and urban environments, which she incorporates as elements intuitively and structurally within the work. The underlying compositional structure also refers to the grids of early European book design. These elements are combined with her exploration of calligraphed inscriptions along with painting and collage. Her use of color is influenced by the light and atmosphere of Rome, Italy. The resulting palimpsest surface is built out of constructing, deconstructing and recycling these elements. The calligraphy and color, the European culture and history are all woven together to create soft, meaningful interpretations within an abstract format.
Margot Voorhies Thompson studied at Lewis and Clark College, Reed College, the Pacific Northwest College of Art, and at the Hocheschule Fur Kunsterlische in Linz, Austria. Her work is in collections including the Portland Art Museum, the Stanford University Hospital, and the Printmaking Workshop in New York. Thompson completed a collaborative book commission with Kim Stafford for the University of Oregon’s Knight Library Press. Other commissions include work for the Multnomah County Library Woodstock Branch, Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in Portland, and most recently for Portland State University.