Drawings & Archives recently acquired the personal papers of Chip Lord, a prominent American media artist and educator whose work has significantly influenced contemporary media practice and the architectural design world. Originally trained as an architect at Tulane University, Lord co-founded the revolutionary collective Ant Farm, which created projects such as Media Burn and Cadillac Ranch that combined architecture and contemporary media art.

After the disbandment of Ant Farm, Lord continued his work as a solo artist but also transitioned into academia, becoming a professor at UC Santa Cruz, where he taught digital media and film. Throughout his career, Lord used satire and video to critique vital issues such as consumerism, car culture, and the overwhelming presence of mass media.

The personal papers will complement Avery’s existing holdings related to Ant Farm (the Chip Lord papers on Ant Farm, 1965-2014)  and enhance researchers’ understanding of the development of Lord’s counter-cultural ideas.