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Bankers’ Heart
The oldest bank in the western world, Monte dei Paschi di Siena was founded in 1472 in Italy fifty years after the death of Saint Francis of Assisi. Monte dei Paschi’s founding mission, echoing that of Saint Francis was to offer aid to the poor and disadvantaged during hard times. Today the metaphors used by financial institutions when talking about money evoke fluidity and movement, however we’re now living with the consequences of this fiscal hyperbole: “runaway greed”. On July 27, 2010 Artist Patricia K. Kelly stood for 3 hours holding a small painting of Saint Francis while facing the iconic “Banker’s Heart” located in front of the former headquarters of Bank of America in San Francisco’s Financial District. Based on recent experiences standing outside a London bank, this simple act of remembrance invited comment, interaction, and conversation with members of the public.
British born visual artist Patricia K. Kelly currently resides in San Francisco. While at the San Francisco Art Institute where she graduated with an MFA (painting) she was awarded a PEO International Peace Scholarship. Kelly exhibits nationally and internationally. Her current work explores how contemplation relates to image formation and image transmission.