The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 9, 2023

Evolution II (Chimpanzee and Man)

1984, printed 1999

Nancy Burson

(American, b. 1948)

America, 20th century

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

Edition: edition 4/15

Location

not on view

Fun Fact

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.

Inscriptions

Inscription

Written in black ink on recto: "Evolution II © copyright 1984 Nancy Burson (signed) [illegible word] R.C. & D.K. 4/15"

Provenance
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
Citations
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.
Source URL: https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2020.71