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Bordertowns by Lordy Rodriguez
Photo CreditPhoto courtesy of McKay Lodge Fine Arts Conservation Laboratory, Inc.
Bordertowns
Photo CreditPhoto courtesy of McKay Lodge Fine Arts Conservation Laboratory, Inc.

Bordertowns

Artist
Year2018
Classification sculpture
Medium dye-infused aluminum
Dimensionsa total of 12 panels, dimensions vary
Credits Commissioned through the Art in Architecture Program
Fine Arts Collection
U.S. General Services Administration
Location
CollectionRecent Installations

  • Lordy Rodriguez uses the language of cartography to explore the identity politics of a place, its residents, and visitors.  He reconfigures the standard information that one typically expects to find in maps and incorporates cultural identifiers to create fanciful collages based on real locales.  Instead of showing accurate representations, Rodriguez’s maps become cultural portraits that comprise the colors, shapes, patterns, and text found in the community portrayed.

    Bordertowns is a fictional map of Columbus, New Mexico, and Palomas, Mexico, the two towns that meet at the border.  The mural’s imagery is based on designs that inspired Rodriguez during his walking tours of both cities.