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. The exhibition features works spanning Thompson’s entire career, from his student days at Syracuse to his most recent prints, highlighting his distinctive approach to printmaking. Unlike traditional printmakers who create new matrices for each print, Thompson re-uses existing matrices as building blocks, recombining and reimagining them across compositions—a method rooted in the experimental studio culture he encountered at Syracuse. The show emphasizes his sustained observation of nature, particularly gardens, grasses, stalks, and ponds.
The exhibition matters because it showcases an alumnus on a New York City stage, tracing the arc of a career that began at Syracuse University and has earned international recognition. Thompson’s work is held in public collections including Massachusetts General Hospital and has been exhibited at venues such as Adelson Galleries and the Sunshine Museum in Beijing. The show underscores the Syracuse University Art Museum’s role as a museum-laboratory for teaching and research, extending its mission to a wider audience through its satellite gallery in Manhattan. It also highlights Thompson’s philosophy that art should be shared generously, like music or concerts.