The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 23, 2025

Pixelated black-and-white computer composite of chimpanzee and men's faces into a headshot that appears to be a mix of the two's features. The eyes, lips, and jaw appear more human while the chimpanzee ears are cast in shadow and the edges of the face are coated in short, bristly fur.

Evolution II (Chimpanzee and Man)

1984, printed 1999

Nancy Burson

(American, b. 1948)
America
gelatin silver print
Image: 20 x 20.6 cm (7 7/8 x 8 1/8 in.); Framed: 46.5 x 46.5 cm (18 5/16 x 18 5/16 in.)
The Jane B. Tripp Charitable Lead Annuity Trust 2020.71
© Nancy Burson
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

Working with two MIT engineers, artist Nancy Burson developed the technique of computer morphing faces in the late 1980s.

Description

In this image, Nancy Burson combined the face of a man with that of a chimpanzee. Ignoring the intermediate steps, Burson leapfrogs through the extremely long complex process of evolution to depict a single moment of transition between two species. It is not a scientifically accurate image of evolution, but an imaginary portrait that links humans with one of their genetic ancestors.
  • 1999
    Studio of the Artist
    2000
    (Jan Kesner Gallery, Los Angeles, CA)
    2000-2020
    John J. McDonough Museum of Art, Youngstown State University, Youngstown, OH
    March 2, 2020
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Burson, Nancy, Richard Carling, and David Kramlich. Composites: Computer-Generated Portraits. New York: Beech Tree Books, 1986.
    Burson, Nancy, Michael L. Sand, Lynn Gumpert, Terrie Sultan, and Christopher C. French. Seeing and Believing: The Art of Nancy Burson. Santa Fe, N.M.: Twin Palms, 2002.
  • {{cite web|title=Evolution II (Chimpanzee and Man)|url=false|author=Nancy Burson|year=1984, printed 1999|access-date=23 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2020.71