Naoe Suzuki
Newton, MA
drawing
Unknown Transgenic History #4, 2006, 41" x 29", mineral pigment and graphite on paper, Lent by the Artist
Naoe Suzuki combines source material from the history of art, medical catalogues, and plant life in her drawings. Her recent series Mysterious Syndrome features biomorphic, technological forms interacting with a baby that prompts anxieties about technology, genetic manipulation, and debates around intelligent design.
"My fascination with scientific and medical images began when I was introduced to a scientific lab equipment catalog five years ago, which contained products with specialized purposes , beyond the everyday consumer use. The effect of each product, in the eyes of the non-scientific observer, is of a highly specific and detailed, yet completely vague kind of functionality. By modifying these images, I intensify the duality of their specificity and vagueness. To this I add humor and quirkiness. These images morph and reveal my fascination, belief, and skepticism toward our relationships with our bodies in terms of medicine/science, disease, technology, and consumerism. My new series incorporate images from Renaissance paintings, fashion, and nature. Mysterious Syndrome series reflects our tendency to pathologize ambiguous conditions. Each work is titled with a made-up diagnosis. These fictional diagnoses not only poke fun at inaccessible medical terms, but also leave us with partial understanding of each condition. Unknown Transgenic History series satirizes the tendency of our reprogenetic technologies." —Naoe Suzuki
Please join the artist for a Gallery Talk on Saturday, May 6, 2006, at 3 pm.
