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This thing was constructed on January 9, 2008, and it was categorized as art.
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DNA 11 creates unique artwork by offering ”portraits” of a client’s fingerprints or DNA. Customers receive a kit for collecting either a cheek swab or fingerprint samples, and then work with artists to select the style, color, and size of the finished piece. The beautiful work serves, in the words of the company’s website, as a ”a stunning symbol in your individuality,”
The basic idea cleverly updates the standard portrait (or family portrait–customers can buy works including more than one person’s DNA). More subdued (and less immediately hubristic) than traditional portraits, the works bridge the worlds of art and science in an aesthetically pleasing way.
On another level, though, the products raise questions about the relationship between personal creativity and art. Every home has examples of art that reflects the experiences and interests of individuals: a painting done over a weekend, a piano or keyboard tucked in a corner, a sampler hanging over a bookshelf. Regardless of the quality, this hobby art validates individual experience by creating an outlet for personal expression and giving people a sense of pride in creation. DNA 11, however, disconnects these elements in personal art, resulting in works that are wholly unique and utterly personal while not being creative for the owner whose body provided material inspiration.
. Historian Shae Davidson's research interests include public policy and the relationship between culture and civil society. His publications range from articles on industrial history to absurdist poetry.
