Nancy Burson

photographer

American^[1] b. 1948^[1] active 1968–present

Nancy Burson is an American artist and photographer known for her pioneering work in computer morphing technology. Her career began in the late 1960s, and she became a prominent figure in the field by creating composite images that explore the human face. She is particularly noted for developing technologies that age-enhance faces or blend multiple features to create fictional yet realistic portraits. Beyond her artistic contributions, Burson's work has had practical applications; her morphing software was used by law enforcement and organizations like the FBI to generate updated images of missing children and adults. She has served as a visiting professor at Harvard University and was an adjunct faculty member at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. Her work is held in major museum collections worldwide, including MoMA, the Whitney Museum, and the Victoria and Albert Museum.^[1,2,3]

• morphing technology
• human face
• aging
• composite portraiture
• diversity