Jon Thompson's Lyotard Suite Revitalizes Geometric Abstraction with Optical Tension

Jon Thompson's 2014 Lyotard Suite paintings demonstrate rigorous geometric abstraction, contrasting with contemporary trends that risk nostalgic indulgence. His work since the 1960s has been overshadowed by his educational and critical reputation, but these canvases reveal his acute understanding of painting's potential. The series features hard-edge, color-field elements that create vibrant instability rather than harmony. Thompson manipulates visual perception through unresolved forms and complementary color clashes, with solemn primaries juxtaposed against decorative tones like orange, ochre, mint, cyan, and purplish grey. Specific paintings include Delay, where dull orange saltire forms between light-blue triangles produce retinal aftershadows, and Stretch, Fissure, and Sponge, where geometric shapes appear to unfold from the picture plane. These works provoke sensations of physical movement and material space, with dappled brushmarks and visible pencil markings adding cognitive tension. Thompson draws inspiration from philosopher Jean-François Lyotard's phenomenological approach to body-spirit relationships, though the paintings stand independently as explorations of libidinal pleasure through visual sensations that suggest touch and movement. The series was reviewed in ArtReview's December 2014 issue.