Measuring over 10 feet tall, Robert Romero’s DNA of Success is a monumental sculpture that celebrates the mysterious yet essential building block of all living organisms, DNA. Here, the artist has created a large-scale, abstracted version of DNA using marine-grade stainless steel. It seems to depict the DNA strand as it first comes into being, with the sides of the ladder extending infinitely into space. As a symbol of continuous growth and learning, the sculpture inspires us in the direction of further exploration, further scientific breakthroughs and continued learning, be it on a macro or micro level.

Romero is a New Mexico-based sculptor known for his metal abstractions that are inspired by real-world phenomena. The sky, the moon, a butterfly and even a teardrop have all been translated into three dimensions by the artist, including the monumentally scaled Las Mariposas, which at 45 feet tall, is the world’s largest butterfly sculpture. Like drawing in air, the double helix materializes into being, a symbol of growth and achievement on campus. Because of its mirrored surface and the sense of continual motion inherent in the work, DNA of Success can be compared to Constantin Brancusi’s Bird in Space (1932-40; Guggenheim Museum, New York). Brancusi’s sculpture famously depicts the abstracted.