Week 6 | BioTech + Art | Blog Assignment

Alba

Eduardo Kac fascinated me the most of the artists discussed in our lectures this week.  I find it incredible that Eduardo Kac was able to take the GFP protein from jellyfish and implant it into a bunny.  The bunny, named Alba, was one of Kac's most famous pieces and this can partially be accredited to there already being great debate over genetically modified foods being in grocery stores.  compared to foods, the creation of genetically modified organisms raises even greater questions in society today.  According to Kristen Philiphoski, Alba died an untimely death.  Experiments like these raise questions about if artists should be able to use animal for experiments.  The GFP protein is now being used however, to monitor cell division according to Julie Cohen.

Modified butterfly

Marta de Menezes modified the patters on live butterflies wings' in a demonstration to show how art can be placed into nature and according to Karl Fabricius, to create an animal that wouldn't exist naturally in nature.  While I found Menezes' work to be quite stimulating, others felt it was displeasing because the butterflies formed holes in their wings.  Genome Network News said that Menezes altered their wing patters by "using a thin needle coupled to a heat generator" and this created unnatural patterns.

What's considered genetically modified?

Today it appears that there are separate standards for scientists and artists.  Since scientists are experimenting with the intent of find new knowledge, people forget and let slide that they are testing their ideas on animals.  Since artists can use many mediums to show their work, people like Andrew B. Perzigian say "...(animals are being treated as) nothing more than "test tubes with tails."

Works Cited

"Asymmetrical Butterfly Wings." Genome News Network. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 May 2015. <http://www.genomenewsnetwork.org/articles/2004/05/28/butterflywings.php>. 

Cohen, Julie. "Illuminating the Dark Zone." The UCSB Current. N.p., 29 Apr. 2015. Web. 11 May 2015. <http://www.news.ucsb.edu/2015/015362/illuminating-dark-zone>.

Fabricius, Karl. "What Became of the Glowing Green Bunny?" What Became of the Glowing Green Bunny? N.p., n.d. Web. 11 May 2015. <http://scribol.com/science/what-became-of-the-glowing-green-bunny>. 

GMO? Digital image. Visually. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2015. <http://visual.ly/gmo-genetically-modified-organism>. 

Green Fluorescent Protein. Digital image. GFP. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2015. <www.conncoll.edu>. 

Perzigian, Andrew B. "Full Title Name:  Brief Summary of Genetic Engineering and Animals." Brief Summary of Genetic Engineering and Animals. N.p., 2002. Web. 11 May 2015. <https://www.animallaw.info/article/brief-summary-genetic-engineering-and-animals>. 

Philipkoski, Kristen. "RIP: Alba, the Glowing Bunny." WIRED. N.p., 12 Aug. 2002. Web. 11 May 2015. <http://archive.wired.com/medtech/health/news/2002/08/54399?currentPage=all>.