The art of DNA

Sir John contributed a sample of DNA from his sperm to be used by Quinn in the work. The result is a picture the size of an A4 piece of paper surrounded by a stainless steel frame - representative of a sterile scientific environment. Sulston is famous for having led the British effort to decode the human genome.

Quinn rose to fame in the early 90s with his picture Self, a sculpture made from a cast of his head in nine pints of his own deep-frozen blood. To make the image on display at the gallery, the DNA was broken randomly into segments, and treated so that they could be replicated in bacteria. The bacteria containing the DNA segments were spread out on agar jelly in the plate. The transparent entities are colonies of bacteria each grown from a single cell containing a part of Sulston's DNA; at the point of visibility their growth was stopped giving  a biological photography.

"I like that it makes the invisible visible, and brings the inside out. This is a portrait of our shared inheritance and communality, as well as of one person," said  Sulston.

For some reason, this early move into DNA art by Quinn did not find any UK emulators. In UK art circles it was done and dusted, but four years later In 2005 two Canadians, web expert Adrian Salamunovic and geneticist Nazim Ahmed set up their company DNA 11.

Using a sample of DNA that clients provide with a simple kit, DNA11 will create a one-of-a-kind artwork that can then hang up on the wall. The images are enhanced with color and filter effects and then printed on canvas using the giclee method. For the launch of Absolut vodka, an extra large print was created specially, continuing Absolut's long-running art collaboration tradition that began with Andy Warhol.

Seven years on

"Flipping art on its head," DNA11 claims to empower you to create art that has a deep personal meaning to you.
In fact, you are as much a part of the process as we are. You choose the size and style of your art piece and now you can even choose your own colour scheme from over a million possible color combinations. To finish off your perfect art piece, you can also select from a variety of high quality frames. 

 As the leader in the industry, DNA 11 continually works to create new and innovative options and services for
their clients. They are constantly working to add even more life to their client’s DNA art images and the portfolio of personalia has extended to include finger and kiss
prints. Pick  your colour and surround yourself with your own body art,  unconfined to pictures, and extending to include fabrics for curtains and cushions and clothing and even flooring. You can even produce mixed family DNA
representations, DNA kilts perhaps?

With the advent of companies such as 23andMe and deCODEme that offer gene analysis services to reveal predispositions for certain diseases or health risks,  DNA 11 thought it would be exciting to offer added consumer genomics products, but with an outcome that provides more entertainment value.

“Our clients have been so happy with their unique DNA art portraits that we wanted to add even more insightful and exciting options for them,” Nazim Ahmed, co-founder, DNA 11 says (right courtesy Mocoloc.com). ”This new GenePak option allows clients to analyse their genes in an interesting way that creates great entertainment value for friends and family.”

GenePak isolates specific genes during the lab process which identify and represent four different areas of human characteristics:        

• Sport: Show off your muscles without having to flex. This gene called ACTN2 is expressed in all muscle cells. 

• Brain: This gene -- IGF-2 -- is associated with intelligence. It is not the only gene whose expression correlates with IQ, but one of them that is involved in development of the brain. 
• Love: This gene -- NGF2 – is one of the genes responsible for those butterflies in your stomach when you meet that special someone. • Gender: This gene -- Amelogenin -- is often used to determine whether someone is male or female.

“Just as an artist points out and explains specific aspects of an art piece, our clients can do the same,” Nazim adds.  “For example, they can point to certain areas that represent their brain or gender; it’s a great conversation piece.”  The GenePak upgrade option costs $99 and includes a detailed booklet that describes the lab process.

Sources: http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia
http://www.mocoloco.com
Web: http://www.dna11.com/