#92 Art Disturbs, Science Reassures ~Georges Braque
I’ll admit - I am not an art snob. During my first trip to the Museum of Modern Art in NYC, I almost ran to the front desk to report an old television that was only playing static until a dear friend kindly informed me that the artist might have intentionally designed it that way. Upon closer inspection, the TV was unplugged. What in the world was this artist trying to convey?
I spend much of my time teaching my daughters to clearly state what they are trying to communicate. If people have to invest time decrypting your words, time is wasted, progress is postponed, and opportunities are missed. I’m lucky that my children don’t present me with major parental dilemmas. The biggest dilemmas I’m faced with - original art!
As a mommy, I score original art almost daily. Where do I put it all? The refrigerator can only handle so much. Are my girls developmentally on target? I understand the drawing of the two black pigeons, but why is the third one orange? Have I raised mentally and emotionally stable children? If so, why did she draw a hunter shooting a horse? Am I limiting their potential by failing to see art through child-like eyes? You can see I worry quite a bit over original art.
When trying to accomplish #92 (Own an Original Work of Art) to suit my taste, I had my work cut out for me. I needed something that combined logic to comfort me and philosophy to challenge me. My co-worker hit the nail on the head when he came across http://www.dna11.com/ while browsing the Internet at work (I’m sure he was researching for work purposes). DNA11 manages to turn an individual’s genetic code into displayable art. The company has been featured on Devine Design, CSI: NY, The Today Show, and numerous other media outlets. What is more original than DNA? What else is simple enough for elementary level curricula yet complex enough to perplex the world’s greatest scientists? Only DNA!
I decided to purchase the DNA splitscreen on gallery stretched canvas - my husband’s DNA displayed on one half and my DNA displayed on the other half. Several artists had to work together to complete the piece - The Creator of our DNA, DNA owners who provide the DNA (that would be hubby and me), lab techs who process and photograph the DNA, and DNA11 designers who digitally enhance, print, and frame our DNA. There is a bit of preparation that is involved; however, this process was just as much fun as the actual receipt of artwork. We submitted our online order on April 2, 2010. Within 10 days, we had an official DNA collection kit in the mail. Per the instructions, my husband and I swabbed our cheek cells for 30 seconds and transferred the cells to the collection card. His collection turned into a white dot - exactly like the example showed. My dot stayed pink! The instructions don’t say what to do if the dot stays pink, and the after-hours support person was just as bewildered. We decided to mail the collection kits and wait for the verdict on my DNA. Perhaps I have some alien DNA, or perhaps my very existence would be questioned.
On April 29, 2010, I received an email stating that our DNA collection kit had been received and our completed artwork would be received within 4-6 weeks. There was no mention of the validity of my DNA. So far, so good.
Finally, mid-June, we received the carefully packaged artwork on our doorstep. I was relieved to see that my half showed proof that I have DNA! My husband must have been equally excited, because he hung the artwork before I could say “Deoxiribonucleic acid”. The coolest thing about this piece - no one will ever have a duplicate. The biggest lesson from accomplishing #92 - art may appear to be nothing more than randomly placed dashes, but somewhere behind the work is a life and a story. Thanks again for opening my eyes, Mr. Horne.
Title: DNA Splitscreen/Gallery Stretch (I need to come up with something cooler…standby)
Category: Portrait
Who is it by? Several artists as mentioned above
How long did it take for me to decide to buy it? Seconds
Why did I buy it? Loved it!
Cost: $729.00 (plus $25.00 s+h)
Size: 48″ x 18″
Would I consider selling it? I would consider selling most anything for the right price. (Let’s hope I don’t have to sell the original DNA during Thing #21)





