1992
40” x 32”
Acrylic, ink, and black wax on handmade paper
Acrobats and Soldiers
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DNA
Acrobats and Soldiers
Acrobats and Soldiers (1992), deepens the quest into genetics and the human blueprint, a central theme in the ongoing DNA Series. The work presents 23 pairs of human chromosomes rendered on two distinct cells of handmade paper. The upper section captures these genetic structures in dynamic motion—”dancing, schmoozing, and flipping”—juxtaposing the formal, scientific subject with a lively, expressive spontaneity suggested by the artwork’s title. This dual nature evokes the complex biological performance of life.
In formal contrast, the lower section preserves the imprint of the fine mesh screen used to pull the paper pulp, a subtle grid that directly references the controlled environment of chromosomal screening and the karyotype organization visible on the paper. The explicit labeling of the XY male chromosomes grounds this abstract biological data in a specific, known human identity, bridging the vastness of genetic code with the intimacy of the individual.