First Blog: Nancy Burson's Human Race Machine and Beauty Composites

Nancy Burson was born in 1948 and is best known for the morphing technique, wherein Burson uses computer technology to generate transformations of the human face. She is quite well known for using such machinery to simulate transitions in race, age, and facial features to generate both aesthetically pleasing works and those which challenge our notions of beauty and ugliness. Her mastery of digital artwork is immensely helpful generating ideas and inspiration.

The Human Race Machine is one of Burson's most famous works, and is even featured on her website. It was designed with the intent of diminishing racial tensions by adding an element of personal belonging to each race, rather than portraying one or more races as "the other". I find this work to be a powerful means of unifying humanity and blurring distinctions based upon skin color. The design is as ingenious as it is simple. My concern, however, is that the changes in facial features themselves result from racial profiling and stereotype. That concern is addressed to some extent in this video. Though most changes are subtle, the narrowing of the eyes or broadening of the nose may suggest ancient bias against certain races. I am also concerned that individuals may use this as a form of expressing preference for one race over another. Individuals may find by way of consensus, that they do not feel attractive when portrayed as Asian or of Indian descent, and that this may in turn breed both self-hatred and hatred of other races by those deemed more beautiful. Yet such problems are the risk of human freedom; to have the capacity to do good deeds, one must also have the capacity to do evil. Hopefully the results of this machine furnish the former and not the latter.

Nancy Burson's Beauty Composites plays with the modern conception of beauty as both faces are combinations of facial features from celebrities. The face on the left is a composite of film stars Bette Davis, Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelley, Sophia Loren, and Marilyn Monroe. Her face epitomizes American consumerist beauty with her delicate cheekbones and soft features. Yet this model also embodies an older concept of beauty, as several of the celebrity women compiled are either gone or considerably aged. The face on the right is a combination of Jane Fonda, Jacqueline Bisset, Diane Keaton, Brooke Shields, and Meryl Streep. Her seductive eyes and dark hair suggest an air of mystery and sexuality. The contrast between the two faces signifies the ever-evolving image of beauty. Both faces display the power of digital media in shaping modern perceptions of attractiveness. What I find to be strongest about this work is its challenge to our preconceptions of beauty. It forces us to view beauty in an artificial and manufactured way, and calls in to question whether we critically assess what constitutes beauty or merely accept what advertisements, businesses, and social media dictate for the sake of profit.


Sources:
 1. Nancy Burson photo: http://www.sedonacreativelife.com/images/pre1114a.jpg
2. Human Race Machine: http://www.sedonacreativelife.com/images/pre1114a.jpg
3. Beauty Composites: http://clampart.com/2012/06/first-and-second-beauty-composites-left-bette-davis-audrey-hepburn-grace-kelly-sophia-loren-marilyn-monroe-right-jane-fonda-jacqueline-bisset-diane-keaton-brooke-shields-meryl-streep/burson_beauty-composite-12/