Honey Bee Suite.jpg [2]
Joseph.jpg [3]
I began working on the series I call, "Honey Bee Suite," shortly after learning that something called Colony Collapse Disorder [4] was taking an alarming toll on the global bee population. Climate change, environment, loss of habitat and pesticide use are just a few of the causes.
I began with a simple repetition of a honeycomb cell covering the painting surface in a grid-like pattern. I painted the cells in blue and red in a random but harmonious order. Over time, the honeycomb morphed into diamonds as I began layering the nylon netting (with which fruits and vegetables are packaged) into the work.
The idea was threefold: the nylon infused the work with surface texture and depth; it became an effective way to recycle the material; and in a bit of irony, it is an underlying symbolic link to a food crop that may very well have been pollinated by bees.
-- Joseph Verrastro lives and works in Buffalo, NY
Do you have a Small Earth Story to tell in 150 words? Submit yours here [5].
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