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ART REVIEWS

Hwa Young Caruso, M. F. A. & John Caruso, Jr., Ph. D. 
Art Review Editors

GENDER IDENTITY AND POLITICS  

SOLO EXHIBITION AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY

These two art works were part of a solo exhibition entitled “DNA DECODING” at Macy Gallery, Teachers College of Columbia University, New York.  The exhibition held in October and November, 2001, was dedicated to the victims of the World Trade Center tragedy.  [paragraph 1]        

Through her art works, Hwa Young Caruso raises questions about gender, human identity, political issues and the importance of the life cycle.  Recent advances in bioengineering, such as cloning and stem cell research, pose political, ethical and moral concerns about human identity.  Cloning and genetic engineering offer the possibility of creating a “designer baby.”  These developments affect the genetic essentials of who we are and our individual self-identity.  [paragraph 2]

Her choice of subjects such as human hearts, DNA structure, molecular forms, spinal cord, pelvis, human fetus, umbilical cord, blood vessel, uterus, seed, egg shell, cocoon, and nut shells deal with identity creation and reproductive power present in female bodies or in nature.  These objects represent philosophical issues of life and death, including the life cycle, the joy and celebration of birth and the nobility of existence.  [paragraph 3]

In the oil painting entitled “Embryonic World,” Caruso uses images of an umbilical cord, blood vessels and eggshells to symbolize identity, life, vitality, and the existence of human beings.  The embodiment of human identity in organs was reflected in the DNA analysis that was used as a scientific way to identify missing persons in the World Trade Center tragedy.  [paragraph 4]

The etching entitled “Prophecy” represents the life formation of humans, and the origin of each individual’s identity.  In a woman’s body the uterus is the place where an individual’s DNA is established.  DNA is the true location of biological identity and the unique fingerprint of each individual.  Through exploration of images such as interior organs and DNA, Caruso conveys social, political and feminist meanings of identity.  She raises questions about what signifies individual identity through her choices of art media such as oil paint and printmaking.  [paragraph 5] 

Caruso is using art as a visual language to express her thoughts about issues of identity in today’s world and their impact on life.  Through the meaning-making process, she is defining her identity in America’s multicultural society.  [paragraph 6]