Evolution II (Chimpanzee and Man)

1984, printed 1999

Evolution II (Chimpanzee and Man), 1984, printed 1999. Nancy Burson (American, b. 1948). 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 Cleveland Museum of Art, The Jane B. Tripp Charitable Lead Annuity Trust 2020.71 © Nancy Burson 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. Working with two MIT engineers, artist Nancy Burson developed the technique of computer morphing faces in the late 1980s.