Picturing the Genetic Revolution . The show presented works by several dozen artists, all reflecting on genetics or biotechnology. Much of the artwork expresses concern about the so-called genetic revolution. Other works, such as a satirical video advertising a biotechnology mutual fund, question gene patents and biotech commerce. She and Marvin Heiferman, both New York curators, organized the exhibit.
Artists often comment on the issues of their times.
A more curious trend, reflected in the Paradise Now exhibit, is a small movement some people have dubbed genetic art. The artists in this genre have turned the tools of molecular biology into their paint brushes or chisels. Some use techniques of geneticists or collaborate with them to produce portraits containing depictions of chromosomes or DNA sequences. Others have drawn upon living organisms, including genetically modified bacteria and cloned trees, to express themselves. Four of six panels that make up Kevin Clarke's portrait of James D. Watson, codiscoverer of DNA's structure.