Beautymarks

Recently I’ve been re-ordering images of invasive birthmarks into symmetrical patterns. The resulting repetition addresses both genetic reoccurrence and aberration. By applying rules of proportion, symmetry and pattern to dermal “imperfections,” I examine the Western body politic and probe that sublime space between the beautiful and the grotesque. The works are part of an investigation that juxtaposes anomaly against ideal Western paradigms such as the Fibonacci sequence, the model of proportion as conveyed in Greek statuary, the Enlightenment concept of purity, and Nazi propaganda concerning the genetically “perfect” body. Such topics have been at the forefront of philosophical inquiry for centuries. In this contemporary setting where genetic testing abounds they are of specific relevance. During the past fifteen years there have been two highly visible studies that have attempted to link the Fibonacci string model and the golden ratio to the growth of DNA repetitive sequences and the proportions of nucleobases in the human genome.