The Illuminator: Art, Conspiracy and Madness

Mark Lombardi stands on the edge of international stardom. His intricate and controversial artworks have drawn the attention of some of New York’s most prestigious institutions – as well as shedding light on some of the world’s most corrupt people and institutions.  Those closest to him are both thrilled by his success and worried for his safety. Mark, who previously brushed off his friends’ concerns, seems increasingly troubled. He’s working more intensely than ever, but behaving erratically. He’s fearful of surveillance.  Then, in March 2000, Mark decides to put his entire life’s work under the careful charge of the Pierogi gallery. It will be one of the last decisions he ever makes.   This is episode five of The Illuminator: Art, Conspiracy, and Madness, a new series from Brazen, hosted by Ako Mitchell. For early access to new episodes, ad-free listening, and more, subscribe to Brazen+ at brazen.fm/plus. To see Lombardi’s expansive BCCI drawing in full, visit brazen.fm/illuminator. If you liked The Illuminator, you can buy merchandise from the series at shop.brazen.fm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/plus/

With his marriage spiraling under the strain of his obsessions, Mark returns to the cutthroat New York art scene. His friends are worried – even discourage the move – but Mark is resolute.  Soon, it appears his decision is paying off. He is finally gaining the recognition he craves, leading to exhibitions at prestigious venues like the Drawing Center in Manhattan and the Pierogi 2000 gallery in Brooklyn. His art is celebrated for its visually arresting maps of power, and he begins work on what will become known as his masterwork: a vast, 12 foot wide line drawing that maps ‘the mother of all bank scandals’: BCCI.  Exposed for facilitating mass financial crime, BCCI held accounts for dictators and criminals alike – from Saddam Hussein to Osama Bin Laden and Colombia’s Medellin Cartel. This drawing is the culmination of every other work Mark has ever done, a stunning unraveling of the dirtiest bank in the world. But, on the cusp of international success, the disaster strikes – and the very existence of the piece is threatened.  This is episode four of The Illuminator: Art, Conspiracy, and Madness, a new series from Brazen, hosted by Ako Mitchell. For early access to new episodes, ad-free listening, and more, subscribe to Brazen+ at brazen.fm/plus. To see Lombardi’s expansive BCCI drawing in full, visit brazen.fm/illuminator. If you liked The Illuminator, you can buy merchandise from the series at shop.brazen.fm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/plus/

Mark Lombardi has met his match – a stunning blonde by the name of Day Barlow. When the couple marry at the Rothko Chapel in Houston, he feels optimistic, the future full of possibility.   At first, Mark weathers the obstacles thrown at him – professionally and personally. But in the wake of the high-profile scandals like the Savings and Loans crisis and the Iran-Contra affair, he appears to fall down a rabbit hole of increasing intensity.  As Mark Lombardi’s obsessions take hold, he delves deeper into these complex connections of power, transforming them into painstaking line drawings that will become his signature style.  He insists his work is entirely based on information in the public domain. But he seems more preoccupied than ever, his behavior growing more erratic. Could he know more about these murky worlds than he’s willing to admit?  Yet his investigations also attract dangerous attention, leading Mark and some of his close friends to fear for his life.  This is episode three of The Illuminator: Art, Conspiracy, and Madness, a new series from Brazen, hosted by Ako Mitchell. For early access to new episodes, ad-free listening, and more, subscribe to Brazen+ at brazen.fm/plus. To see Lombardi’s expansive BCCI drawing in full, visit brazen.fm/illuminator Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/plus/

In the aftermath of 9/11, the FBI is scrambling to identify the perpetrators of the attacks. The investigation brings its agents to the door of the Whitney Museum of Art, where Mark Lombardi’s most significant work, BCCI-ICIC & FAB, is housed.  For some time, it looked as if Mark’s career in art would amount to nothing at all. His galleries fail, he clashes with bosses, and leaves a prestigious post as an assistant curator.  But when he takes a new job at Houston Public Library, Mark discovers a talent for meticulous research. He begins collecting information to the point of obsession. It puts him on the path to creating his greatest work: a vast drawing tracing connections between the Bank of Credit and Commerce International, the CIA, and associates of Osama bin Laden. But just how did this conceptual artist come to uncover information of interest to the FBI? As it turns out, it wasn’t through library work alone. This is episode two of The Illuminator: Art, Conspiracy, and Madness, a new series from Brazen, hosted by Ako Mitchell. For early access to new episodes, ad-free listening, and more, subscribe to Brazen+ at brazen.fm/plus. To see Lombardi’s expansive BCCI drawing in full, visit brazen.fm/illuminator Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/plus/