Lombardi's elegant flowcharts illustrate the connections between some of the most controversial figures and events in contemporary history. In this drawing, the infamous ballistics inventor Gerry Bull and his company Space Research Corporation are linked with the South African state–supported arms–development corporation Armscor, and the names of individuals and events related to both are spelled out neatly. Trained as a librarian, Lombardi conducted extensive research on corporations, financial transactions, and politics and filed his findings on thousands of index cards. He drew these webs to impose order on complex global networks and make them visible; viewers make their own judgments regarding culpability.
Gallery label from Compass in Hand: Selections from The Judith Rothschild Foundation Contemporary Drawings Collection, April 22, 2009–January 4, 2010.