Alanna Spence
Colony Collapse Disorder
I went to the south of France about three years ago for a painting workshop in the countryside. The property where I stayed was loaded with fruit trees, herbs, and flowers. There was such an abundance of bugs flying around, I felt like I was snorkeling above water. I had never seen so many different types of bees in one place and it was dazzling. Back home in San Francisco, I was shocked from the comparative lack of insects. After being surrounded with bees, it felt so unnatural to have few around. I started really considering manŐs relationship with bees. We are always trying to get rid of them, we are afraid of their sting. Now, with the latest epidemic of Colony Collapse Disorder, we are learning to appreciate them in a new light.
My latest work has been of Beekeepers tending to hives, though many of the hives are empty or weak. The Beekeepers are veiled in full body suits. We cannot see their faces: their identities are obscured. The paintings hover between abstraction and representation. The combination of images and abstracted forms deny clear information.
|
