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The Kenyan chain reminded me of the Shona-like head of a stainless steel/bronze sculpture ‘FROM MOLECULE TO MAN’ created by Jim Cunningham, Michigan, for a physiology department. The shape of the head can be attributed to the fact that, 20 yrs ago, the artist had apprenticed to a sculptor in Zimbabwe.

Jim’s sculpture is an embodiment of the departmental logo invented by Bill, its chairperson – a decoration of Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘Proportions of the Human Figure’ with DNA.

As seen below, Sanford, maker of sharpies (left insert) and Bill (right insert) as well as Jim, above, hide human genitalia.

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To the mixture of associations of the sculpture shown here – Renaissance and African Art and Molecular Biology – I add one more, North American Modesty.

Remember, another example of contemporary gender-free art, was Eric’s homunculus (2003).