What is DNA Art?
99.9% of our DNA is shared with all other humans. Only about 0.1% of our DNA makes us individual
Following the development of techniques to isolate DNA and transfer it to print or canvas, DNA Art UK Limited produces the vibrant images shown on this page. ‘It’s a unique self portrait, a portrait of you, by you,’ explained Dutch molecular geneticist Rudolf Wessels, who developed the techniques to produce these very personal portraits. This work is supported by Professor Lubbert Dijkhuizen, professor of microbiology at Groningen University, the Netherlands, and winner of the esteemed 2006 Wubbo Ockels Prize.
DNA Art UK was established last year to supply these highly original artworks* to the public.
What makes this firm’s DNA portraits unique is that they display only the 0.1% of DNA that makes someone an individual – which makes a truly personal image.
Finding that 0.1% inevitably involves a number of time-consuming procedures; these take six to eight hours per person.
For those wanting an even more individual self-portrait, the firm’s laboratory can also identify several characteristics. For example, following further painstaking procedures, such a bespoke DNA canvas could show up the alcohol gene and the male/female chromosome. Frank Scolaro, director of DNA Art UK, also points out that there are some limitations as to which can be illuminated. ‘Most characteristics are not located on a single gene but on multiple genes. Only the traits showing up on a single gene can make a coherent picture.’ Nonetheless, work is continuing to identify over 20 other personal traits.
In effect, this company has introduced a very new kind of art form to the market, as the giclee printing technique used to produce dnaPortraits was originally developed to meet the critical demands of collectors of limited edition prints. ‘Giclee productions remain colourfast for at least a century, and DNA Art UK’s high resolution imaging produces a vibrancy that makes such longevity meaningful,’ Frank Scolaro explains. ‘DNA Art is at the cutting edge of art and science. A tiny slice of the human genome is highlighted as bands that show the presence and intensity of your DNA. This is transformed in the laboratory into a remarkable image, which is then printed as a photograph or inscribed onto a high quality canvas. Your DNA is your grand design – it’s your blueprint – so you couldn’t have a more real portrait of yourself or loved one.’
* Each DNA artwork is supplied with an authenticity guarantee certificate from the firm’s founders.
01.03.2008
