Mark Lombardi

Following the money: Mark Lombardi’s “Arochem, Bayoil and Bay Industries: Stamford, London, Baghdad c.1988–91” (2000)

“Mark Lombardi (1951-2000) draws on the major political and financial scandals of the day to create large-scale linear diagrams that at first glance look like celestial maps; a closer reading reveals the intricate web of connections that lurk beneath current headlines. From Whitewater to the Vatican Bank, Lombardi uses dotted lines and broken arrows to chart the paths of illicit deals and laundered money, keeping track of it all in a handwritten database of 12,000 index cards.By scrutinizing the mutable boundaries that separate artistic practice from daily life, Lombardi wrings visual poetry out of dirty secrets–the results are a chillingly beautiful guide to the facts of life.” (link)

LINKS:

• wikipedia entry
• “Dark Star: Turning Conspiracy Theories Into Visual Exorcisms,” Village Voice, 2003
• “The Consipiracy Art of Mark Lombardi,” NPR, audio segment

Advertisement