Nancy Burson
photographer
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]
Themes
- morphing technology
- human face
- aging
- composite portraiture
- diversity
Books
Works by Nancy Burson
- Faces 1993 · Twin Palms Publishers · book · English ISBN 0944092241 Photographs by Nancy Burson; essay by Jeanne McDermott.
- The Human Race Machine 2000 · installation/interactive art Interactive tool for exploring racial issues.
- Age Machine 1990 · installation/interactive art Interactive tool showing viewers what they might look like when older.
Exhibitions
- 2002 Seeing and Believing Grey Art Gallery solo
Awards
- 2002 Nominated for Best Solo Museum Show of the Year International Association of Art Critics

