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Gene Patents in the Arts
Artists
Creative Time DNAid ™
Creative Time is a New York based public art organization. As a way to address concerns about genetic technology and its possible impact on society, DNAid was created to provoke public conversation on the topic. To do so, it commissioned five artists to create deli coffee cups. Gene patenting is dealt with in Larry Miller’s cup when he asks, “Who Owns Your Genes?&rdquo.; The artist included two fingerprint markings on the cup to show that a person’s DNA could be left behind on their cup. This piece can be viewed at: http://www.creativetime.org/dnaid/cups.html
Donna Rawlinson MacLean
To show her displeasure at the patenting of human genes, poet Donna Rawlinson MacLean tried to patent herself. In her application, she claims that she is novel and useful, both requirements to patent an invention. The article discussing her application can be viewed at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/genes/article/0,2763,191908,00.html
Gene(sis)
The Gene(sis): Contemporary Art Explores Human Genomics exhibition presents art influenced by recent developments in genomics and shows how those recent developments have influenced artists and their subjects. Artist Larry Miller expresses his dismay with the patenting of human genes and cell lines in a piece entitled, Genomic License No. 7 (Corpus Dualis). The artist copyrights his own genetic code to show his discontent at allowing the patenting of genetic sequences. His work can be viewed at. http://www.gene-sis.net/artists_miller.html
Paradise Now
Artists and their works on the Paradise Now: Picturing the Genetic Revolution website deal with issues brought on by advances in biotechnology. The artists have very different backgrounds and they examine a variety of issues. Larry Miller criticizes gene patents in his work titled, Genomic License #5 (Alison Knowles Properties). He shows a lady with all of her belongings, including a copyright of her genetic code. The piece can be viewed at: http://www.genomicart.org/miller-larry.htm
Novels
Philip Kerr
The Second Angel
(Pocket Books: New York 1998)
A killer plague ravages through Earth in the year 2069 and the only cure is clean blood. However, the clean blood is in short supply and only the rich can afford it. By showing how the commercialization of a human product can be abused, this book shows what may happen if human genes continue to be commercialized and patented. .;
Nancy Kress
Patent Infringement
Asimov’s Science Fiction, (May 2002) (Short Story)
An exchange of letters between a patient whose genes were used to develop a vaccine and the drug company that patented the vaccine are used to show a possible adverse effect of gene patents. .;
Paul J. McAuley
The Secret of Life
(Tor Books: New York 2002)
A Martian organism is released on Earth wreaking havoc in the Pacific. Scientists are sent up to Mars to retrieve a sample of the organism which leads to a struggle between whether the information gathered should belong to a private company or the public.
Cartoons
Chris Madden, Chris Madden Cartoons
The artist creates cartoons on a variety of subjects ranging from gardening to science. One of his cartoons that deals with the human genome and how gene patenting can lead to financial rewards can be viewed at: .; http://www.goma.demon.co.uk/genetics/geneticselect.html
The Professional Cartoonists Index
This site contains cartoons by a variety of artists on an array of topics. The site has a section dedicated to the Human Genome and some of the works pertain to the patenting of genes. The site can be viewed at: http://cagle.slate.msn.com/news/gene/
More Biotechnology in the Arts
Genetic Discriminiation in the Arts
Germline Intervention in the Arts
Human Cloning in the Arts
Nanotechnology in the Arts
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Genetic Discrimination
Germline Intervention
Gene Patents
Nanotechnology
Human Cloning
Reproductive Technology