Doug and Mike Starn (twins) were born in Somers Point, New Jersey. Since birth the boys had their own unique conception of the world. They were quite creative and mischievous. While attending a catholic high school, their opinions clashed with those of school administrators. When the dress code called for short hair, the Starn's, with their beloved and trademark overgrown manes, pulled their hair into pony tails and wore short hair wigs. This in just one example of the pair's inseparable defiance toward the established system. .
This defiance found its way into every part of their lives. The two insisted upon working as a single entity, and this naturally followed them to their photography. Taking up the hobby of photography at age thirteen, Doug and Mike Starn showed promise then, even with their crude Polaroids and point-and-shoot cameras. The two went on to study at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. There they completed their study in three years, a year ahead of schedule, and went on to win two of the school's Fifth Year Certificates and continued their prestigious beginnings in the photographic world. At this time, the twins began to develop their unique style of torn and scotch taped prints.
The brothers have a style uniquely their own. They photograph things which would hold no interest to anyone viewing the print alone. To augment their prints, the twins began to tear desirable shapes and shadows and tape them together in a collage type image. They purposely distressed the images by yellowing them, over or under development, or simply scratching the negatives. Through the final products, they make statements on religion, human existence, and the world in which we live. Their styles and ideas have grown with them.
The brothers, for their works have received many awards and have exhibited their work at innumerable museums and galleries. Through their travels, they have matured and their work shows it.
Question What leads otherwise law abiding people to engage in mass state-prescribed violence? Response War is seen as one of the most horrible things and crimes on this planet, but the crime of genocide, as Alfred Nobel states, it is the evil twin of it (Alvarez, 2001). Genocide is considered to be...
