Xavier Cortada, "(The Four Nucleotides:) Cytosine," oil on canvas, 60" x 48", 2010.

Xavier Cortada's solo exhibit at the Frost Art Museum explores the sequence of events that make up life on the planet from the molecular to the monumental.  

The title of the exhibit also references a series of actions Cortada will set in motion to create of a unique strand of DNA. The artist will work with a molecular biologist to synthesize an actual DNA strand made from a sequence generated by museum visitors using Cortada's art.

Xavier Cortada, "(The Four Nucleotides:) Thymine," oil on canvas, 60" x 48", 2010.

In The Four Nucleotides, the artist creates large scale "portraits" of Adenine, Cytosine, Guanine and Thymine-- the four bases of a DNA strand that summarize all we are, were and will be.

In Genetic Sequence, the artist invites museum visitors to randomly select a post card depicting one of Cortada's four Nucleotide paintings and place them sequentially within small plastic bags hanging in a grid on a wall.  In placing the nucleotide postcards, the visitors will assist in the development of a DNA strand as part of a participatory installation. 

Xavier Cortada, "(The Four Nucleotides:) Adenine," acrylic on canvas, 60" x 72", 2010.