University Museums, Iowa State University prohibits the copying or reproduction in any medium o ...

guardians and their territories

Artist / Maker King Au (Chinese-American, born 1960)

Date1995

OriginUSA

MediumBlack and white photograph

Dimensions4 x 19 1/2 in. (10.2 x 49.5 cm)

ClassificationsPhotographs

Credit LineGift of Pilar Garcia. In the permanent collection, Brunnier Art Museum, University Museums, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.

CopyrightUniversity Museums, Iowa State University prohibits the copying or reproduction in any medium of materials on this website with the following exceptions: Iowa State University students, faculty, and staff for educational use in formal instruction, papers, presentations and projects; limited non-commercial; and personal use that meets the criteria for fair use as defined in the U.S. copyright laws. Images from the University Museums’ collection cannot be used for publication, apparel/non-apparel merchandise, digital or commercial purposes without prior written permission from the University Museums, Iowa State University. Fair use does not apply to the extent that a license agreement or other contract controls reproduction or other use. University Museums and Iowa State University makes no representation that it is the owner of the copyright of the art object depicted in the photo materials and assumes no responsibility for any claims by third parties arising out of use of the photo materials. Users must obtain all other permissions required for usage of the art object and the photo materials. For more information, please see http://www.museums.iastate.edu/ImageReproduction.html

Object numberum95.36abcd

Status

Not on view

Collections

Label TextThe strong public art tradition at Iowa State has always fostered an environment for intellectual stimulation and dialogue, encouraging individuals to respond to their aesthetic surroundings. In 1995 the University Museums launched an innovative project which chronicled one artist's visual responses to the Art on Campus Collection at Iowa State University. Photographer King Au was commissioned to reinterpret the collection for the exhibition, "Interpretations of the Interpretations," pushing the envelope of dialogue to include visual language. "Guardians and Their Territories" was one of Au's interpretations of the "G-Nome Project," a series of installations by Andrew Leicester for the Molecular Biology Building. In this particular work, Au photographed the G-Nomes, which are perched on the four corners of the building as major focal points. Scrutinized over the years as visual representations of genetic science, the G-Nomes have been gazed upon by admirers and critics. Au chose to reverse roles for "Guardians and Their Territories," transporting the viewer into the vantage point of the G-Nomes. Au encourages the viewer to see the campus and. more metaphorically, our environment through the eyes of another. This work of art captures the current and implied changes in our campus environment brought on by science and technology. Framed between two G-Nomes, who represent the guardians of this new technology, the skyline view of campus buildings forecast future change. Genetic engineering through recombining, restructuring, and recoding genetic materials of plants and animals accelerates change much faster than natural evolution. Because of genetic engineering, the term human built environment takes on expanded meanings ranging from molecular to architectural structures.

Locations