Customer Reviews

Genetic Self-Portrait

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The images in this book reveal a truly original take on the self-portrait. The merging of science and visual art has been a popular theme this past decade (especially in photography) but it is so fully realized in Schneider's work that it leaves me speechless, and with a new awareness of beauty. If only more contemporary art could be this satisfying.

The 1999 book "genetic self-portrait" (in all lower case, so I'll refer to it as "gsp") was meant to accompany an exhibition of the same name, but it can be considered a work of art in itself. The artistry is apparent starting with the 21x26cm black cloth covers with silver embossed text. A photograph of a Y chromosome is glued to the front cover, while the frontispiece (just after the front free endpaper) contains a photo of an X chromosome.

The bulk of "gsp" consists of 30+ pages of gloriously-reproduced, toned black-and-white photos on black backgrounds related to Schneider's body. We find DNA sequences, hands, a gene, irises, chromosomes, retinas, teeth, DNA which "has no function," dried blood, hair, an oral mucosa cell, sperm, and ears. The imaging processes vary from photograms to microscopy to fundus camera to X-ray, per the eight pages of notes toward the end of the book. Although "scientific" in origin, the photos are presented in an "artistic" manner in layout, cropping, etc.

Three essays, each 4-5 pages long, complement the photos: "The Portrait in the Age of Genetic Mapping" by Ann Thomas, "Warm Hands, Cold Eye: Gary Schneider's Dissection of the Self-Portrait" by Lori Pauli, and "Portrait Without the Camera Face" by Bettyann Holtzmann Kevles. Although the essays overlap somewhat, they are all well-written and informative. Obtain this unique book from Amazon.com!

BTW, to learn more about the "gsp" series, buy the 2004 book "Gary Schneider: Portraits" (Harvard Art Museum) from Amazon.com. Pages 26-29 of that book contain a discussion of "gsp" by Deborah Martin Kao. Plates 33-38 have installation views of the exhibition at the International Center of Photography. Plates 39 (retinas), 40 (DNA DYZ3/DYZ1), 41 (hair), 42 (hands), 43 (ears), and 44 (irises), and page 116 (Y chromosome), have some of the photos from "gsp". Plates 45-47 have "later additions" (lips, mask, intestinal flora) not in the "gsp" book. On pages 113-115 are excerpts from Schneider talking about the series.