TOKEN of INTELLIGENCE
A painting by Jim Thompson
Gouache and watercolor on artboard
18”x24”
This image enjoyed a double page spread in the gallery section of Future magazine. The story behind it told of a long vanished civilization that was technically highly advanced millions of years beyond our own. Not only is the view impressive but the device in the foreground is just the top of a huge complex of very powerful machinery that extends for miles below the surface of this reddish, sandy environment. In the stone-like pillars on either side of the floating reflective sphere are mysterious inscriptions, left there by the civilization that created the machine for future discoverers to decipher and determine its purpose. On the deck of this device are circular screens that indicate the machine's function and status. In this case the machine is so powerful that it maintains the stability of the surrounding solar system. The cracks and chips in the surface of the structure are signs of stress induced by the unforeseen intrusion of a near passing comet in the distant past. (See Gallery display of the Future magazine article about the artist for more detail.)
Art, Mind and Soul
Artist and creator
Also see Jim Thompson's technical art web site at www.jt-techart.com