450+ Lobbyists

According to STAT’s review of federal disclosures, more than 450 lobbyists worked to help drug makers and their trade group PhRMA oppose lawmakers’ proposals to lower prescription drug prices in 2019.

​This spring I had a piece included in the open exhibit for accordion books at the Kalamazoo Book Arts Center.  Because the accordion form can be as short or long as you like, it offered a fitting way to illustrate this. The book uses black board covers and pages of metallic paper (the green of U.S. dollars, of course) printed with 450 briefcase icons of different sizes. Each briefcase represents a lobbyist. Sections are joined by bands of red metallic paper. I initially chose red as a color that warns, stops, and alerts. One of the artists in the exhibit said the bands remind her of red tape and the hassle often involved in access to medicines and healthcare in general. Exactly...      


​Take a look at the range of materials and topics in the May 2020 Illustrated Accordion exhibit.