| Statement:
Nitrogenous bases make up DNA. DNA makes
up genes. And our genes make our body. However, are our genes all
we are? This question was my motivation for this project. Our genes
control a lot in the way we look but does the way we look make up
who we are? When I thought of who I was I thought of my culture.
I’m Indian and being Indian is a big part of who I am. So
when people say that your genes are who you are, I think that they
are wrong. I think that genes are a part of who I am but I think
that there are many other things that contribute to the person that
I am today. When I started this project I wasn’t sure how
I would integrate these two ideas of nature vs. nurture. I felt
that though my genes made my physical body, my mind and personality
was made by my upbringing. I had taken art classes before and my
focus had been in portraiture so I decided to use this skill in
this project. I took a picture of my mother on her wedding day and
made a painting of it first. I then made two copies of it. I cut
both copies into 100 rectangles. For one of the portraits I used
a segment of the Ammonifex Degensii DNA, each rectangle being a
base. I translated each base into Hindi letters, representing my
culture. I then pasted the painting back together on a piece of
cardboard. For the “mutated” sequence I mixed up the
rectangles with the bases on them and then put them together in
a random order. I wanted the “mutates” sequence to show
that even if there are mutations in our DNA causing differences
in our physical appearance we are still the same. With the paintings
even though the “original” and the “mutated”
do not look the same, they are the exact same painting. I think
that the outcome of my project does relay my original message. Using
DNA to inspire my artwork was a very different experience for me.
I think that this project was interesting because it gives my perspective
on a new discovery and also on my identity. |
