Point of Replication is a manifestation of a place whose influence almost exclusively lingers in my genes. The installation is a to-scale model of a bedroom, made of silkscreened cotton fabric depicting the image of a genetic karyotype. A karyotype is the simplest form of self-portraiture, decoding both the easily identifiable and ambiguous elements of our DNA.
The three windows portray three separate aerial views of the town Shamokin, PA. My ancestors immigrated to Shamokin four generations ago. It is a coal town in central Pennsylvania, once a center of industry that has slowly devolved into an economic depression. In many ways, my family’s journey follows the linear path of the “American Dream”. Point of Replication is my reflection on my genetic past and present, and what implications it presents for my future. Which elements of our genetic code will have the most profound impact on our lives? How are our identities shaped by ancestors that we never fully met?
Serigraphy on cotton with ink and indigo clay resist, silk ribbon, computerized print on silk organza, video projection.
Photos courtesy of Elyse Roat.
2018.
