Visual Rhetoric Assaingment #3

Genes in Color

Saul Huerta

English 1A

Srpring 2014

Genes in Color

 For some people, it is much more easier to understand how something works if they physically see it. I 

am one of those people and believe that the project helps better understand people knowledge of 

genetic engineering, which is my topic. Therefore, the purpose of the essay is to help one better 

understand genetic engineering with the use of a physical (3d object).

The sculpture of the DNA is made out of clay, with copper wire for its skeleton (or the stuff that 

helps it stay up). The color of the two strands from the DNA model is bright red and the regular genes 

(or the 

non modified genes) are in blue in orange, meanwhile the modified genes is green paired with purple 

and pink paired with yellow. I did this because I couldn't find a way to make replaceable genes with 

clay.  The colors don’t do much but contrast each other; I didn’t do it to set a specific tone, simply 

because DNA is well understood, and red for the strand and blue for the genes (some) is what is 

expected from a DNA. However the pink paired with yellow and the purple and green are in the 

sculpture to make the person think that those genes don’t follow a particular pattern and that leads to the 

person seeing the DNA to postulate why they are off colored and let them come to a conclusions, 

hopefully centered around genetic engineering. Since the double helix isn’t completed, I left that to 

mean that genetic engineering still needs improvement as this goes hand in hand with cracks that are 

seen more towards the top. At the top the sculpture is more cracked and broken, I implemented that 

specifically to show the viewer that genetic engineering is not perfect yet and that it still needs work.As 

you look lower in the DNA, the sculpture becomes more soft and non-broken, indicating that DNA 

that's not messed with is the most stable. It makes for a conflicting or ironic tone seriously making the 

viewer think about their position on genetic engineering. Even though there is a deeper meaning than 

meets the eye at the beginning, it simple enough to be found on wall of a young scientist barely 

exploring these concepts, but still complex. The sculpture relates to the articles because the sculpture 

defines what genetic engineering is. The sculpture leaves the non-modified genes alone or undisturbed 

and you can see the genes that were changed for better ones, and that is what the gist of genetic 

engineering is. This is what the academic article from the last paper was about, explaining how genetic 

engineering works. 

I decided to go with clay and boy was that a mistake, I spent more time trying to make sure the thing 

wouldn’t collapse on it self, than sculpting it. My first solution to this problem was having a base from 

another object that would have worked fine; however, I found a way to keep from not self-destructing. 

I made the bottom of the DNA model very heavy, but I made one side heavier than the other and that 

caused problems when the clay dried. I have to go back again to a base (sort of) and used something 

like a paperweight so it wouldn’t fall over. Another deviation from the original plan was for the 

modified genes to be able to be able to switch from regular genes to modified genes, but with clay 

that's not happening. The clay would just end up collapsing and decided to move forward without 

them since the only thing the removable genes would do is just annoy me while it destroys the 

sculpture. Consequently, the genes were just painted a different color so that the viewer could see that. 

Once I sculpted the clay to how I wanted, I let it dry and started painting. This step was the most 

enjoyable part of the sculpture because it had been a while since I used any sort of pain, and since the 

paint didn’t chip off when it dried, made it very easy to paint and not keep going stroking the same part 

of the sculpture repetitively. I spent more time on this project more than I had anticipated I estimated 

that it would take me a collective of 4 hours to put the sculpture together and have it complete, but I 

was wrong. From this, I think the grade I should get for this project is a high ‘b’ since you said that “if” 

it shows that I put in a good amount of time into the project you would give us a good grade.

Secondly, I address all the points given to make this assignment. The reason I shouldn’t get an ‘A’ is 

because I believe that the paper has a lot of room for improvement since my writing is not the

best, even after I take it for peer review. 

In conclusion, I explained how the DNA sculpture tied up with my previous paper and I analyzed the 

sculpture it self to give it a deeper meaning than just face value. I also commented on the challenges it 

tool to make the sculpture. 

*sorry I don't know how to indent here I highlighted the begining of the paragraphs