Flipping through the back of Dwell Magazine, I ran across an ad for some familiar-looking art; the familiarity was born in high-school biology class when we did a gel electrophoresis experiment. Gel electrophoresis is commonly used for analysis of DNA and other proteins. DNA 11 on the other hand, will do this analysis on a DNA sample you send them and prepare a work of art based on the results - artistic license seems to be minimal here, with the customer specifying size, color, and other options. In a very real sense, however, this is both a family and self portrait - it’s a picture of the blueprint from which you were built. If that’s a little too much to advertise, they also create portraits from fingerprints and lips; both with striking and less-abstract results. And with prices starting from $190 ($390 for DNA), it’s probably cheaper than commissioning a more traditional work of art to fill that blank spot on the wall.

Check out the gallery at www.dna11.com.

Filed under: Art | Design — Max @ 6:29 pm