Artwork Summary
“What is it about today’s renaissance woman that makes her so attractive?” Owens asks the viewer. In this work a grid is rendered on screen in grey, on a black backdrop. One of the world’s most famous and enigmatic paintings, Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci appears slowly as pixelated squares. An artwork from the 16th century is catapulted into an ultra-contemporary technological context, though her face is left incomplete, with part of her forehead and hairline undescribed. Blue and yellow pixels fill the gaps and expand her face into the background. A cyborg Mona Lisa, is this today’s Renaissance woman?