Graduate Exhibition

'Not Just Skin Anymore' confronts viewers with a potential future reality by addressing the argument that major firms will commercialise and exploit the technology of biofabrication, negatively impacting not only the individual, but society as a whole. Exploring the demeaning impacts and bio-ethical issues related to the commercial patenting of DNA, Brittany Lopes has created furniture made from human leather. By digitally overlaying skin textures onto furniture sculptures, Brittany portrays a sense of degradation and dehumanisation in which human DNA and skin become objects, disregarding the idea of skin being unique to humans. The skin samples beneath the digital manipulations have been identified by number rather than name, voiding the skin from any sense of unique identity. Furthermore, Brittany has priced the samples, not only conveying skin as an object of science but as an object of profit and consumerism. In doing so, Brittany aims to confront viewers with the idea that eventually, we may see objects resembling ourselves being sold in stores.