Tandem Repeats (1997), fabricated from silk, masonite, and acrylic, is part of a body of work that explores the basis of genetics—heredity and variation—through primarily two-dimensional objects. Conceived during a critical period in the 1990s, the work engages with the scientific shift in understanding tandem repeats, which were initially dismissed as non-coding “junk DNA.” At the time of the artwork’s creation, researchers were only beginning to connect these markers to hereditary diseases and their potential use in forensics; today, they are recognized as drivers of diversity and evolutionary change, linked to over 50 physical and mental disorders.

The artwork translates the parallel tracks of gel slides used in DNA analysis into an arresting visual structure. The artist marks the tandem repeat sequences onto the silk, which is stretched over a shallow, painted masonite tray. Crucially, the soft marking and diaphanous medium allow diffuse light to cast subtle shadows underneath the mesh. This optical effect generates a replicated set of markers, functioning as a visual reference to chromosomal replication, or the creation of a “copy”. As the angle and intensity of light shift, so too do the shadows, underscoring the dynamic, mutable nature of genetic information. Through this transformation, the genetic markers transcend their biological specificity, evolving into a universal language, akin to musical scores or mathematics.