Project Update and Proposal Clarification
August 22, 2007
Synopsis: I propose to create a body of work entitled “Icarus Rising: Lessons from the Bees”. This will be an exploration of encaustic and mixed media beeswax collage. I propose to create at least a piece a week for the next year. In a way, it is a sequel to a body of work I made 10 years ago that explored the topic of early flight and heros. Essentially, I built objects of transformation including a flying machine for my alter-ego, the absurd hero. The work was large and installation oriented.
This body of work will be on a more intimate and reflective level. The pieces will be an exploration of the media and more detail oriented. Images used will depict beekeepers, the history of beekeeping, and the lore surrounding this collaboration between humans and nature. The sacred and sensual aspect of honey and beeswax will be examined as well. For me, this is kind of a personal return to the “quest”, the rising of Icarus whos wings failed him because the wax holding them together melted when he flew too close to the sun.
Research:
· The Hive: History of the Honeybee and Us: Bee Wilson
· The Art of Encaustic Painting (contemporary expression in the ancient medium…): Joanne Materra
· Encaustic Art: Michael Bossom
· The Shamanic Way of the Bee: Ancient Wisdom and Healing Practices of the Bee Masters by Simon Buxton.
· The Art and Adventure of Beekeeping: Aebi (Harry and Ormond)
· Disappearance of the Honeybee (current phenomenon—various media)
Experimentation:
· Encaustic pigment techniques
· Beeswax Collage techniques
· Collecting and pressing flowers (researching medicinal uses and lore)
· Collecting images of beekeepers, historical beekeeping
· Collecting surfaces and objects for collage
· Setting up studio area and trying additive, subtractive processes
Excerpt: from About.com is attached:
Humanity has always had a close relationship with bees, whose honey has have been a food staple since before the dawn of civilization. As a symbol, the bees' lifestyle mimics that of the human social order- a cooperative, productive social hierarchy. In fact, beekeeping is one of the earliest markers of civilized society- bees provided many of the necessities of advancement, providing not only food, but wax for metalworking, cosmetics, and medicines, as well as the ever-important pollinization of fruit trees and other food crops.
Hieroglyphic Bee symbolising the Kingdom of Lower Egypt
The cultivation of honey was a sacred charge often imbued with ritual symbolism and associated with the mother goddess, whose nurturing protection of mankind was symbolized by the the abundance of honey provided to bee society under the reign of the queen bee.
As it was widely believed that bees were born spontaneously, they were widely viewed as symbols of chastity and purity. The Bee's never-flagging labors made them an emblem of hard work, industriousness, teamwork, perseverence, charity, selflessness, and constancy. These virtues are recalled in many heraldic emblems and personal seals, as well as in the emblems of Freemasonry, the Church of Latter-Day Saints, and in countless trademarks.
Masonic Beehive emblem
Observances of the annual hibernation of the hives also resulted in the belief that thye died and were reborn annually, and this, along with their coloring, made them a natural solar symbol- and later, an emblem of Christ in to Christian believers. Greek followers of the goddess Demeter believed her priestesses would be reincarnated as bees; the priestesses of the Ephesian Diana were called melissae- bees.
August 22, 2007
Synopsis: I propose to create a body of work entitled “Icarus Rising: Lessons from the Bees”. This will be an exploration of encaustic and mixed media beeswax collage. I propose to create at least a piece a week for the next year. In a way, it is a sequel to a body of work I made 10 years ago that explored the topic of early flight and heros. Essentially, I built objects of transformation including a flying machine for my alter-ego, the absurd hero. The work was large and installation oriented.
This body of work will be on a more intimate and reflective level. The pieces will be an exploration of the media and more detail oriented. Images used will depict beekeepers, the history of beekeeping, and the lore surrounding this collaboration between humans and nature. The sacred and sensual aspect of honey and beeswax will be examined as well. For me, this is kind of a personal return to the “quest”, the rising of Icarus whos wings failed him because the wax holding them together melted when he flew too close to the sun.
Research:
· The Hive: History of the Honeybee and Us: Bee Wilson
· The Art of Encaustic Painting (contemporary expression in the ancient medium…): Joanne Materra
· Encaustic Art: Michael Bossom
· The Shamanic Way of the Bee: Ancient Wisdom and Healing Practices of the Bee Masters by Simon Buxton.
· The Art and Adventure of Beekeeping: Aebi (Harry and Ormond)
· Disappearance of the Honeybee (current phenomenon—various media)
Experimentation:
· Encaustic pigment techniques
· Beeswax Collage techniques
· Collecting and pressing flowers (researching medicinal uses and lore)
· Collecting images of beekeepers, historical beekeeping
· Collecting surfaces and objects for collage
· Setting up studio area and trying additive, subtractive processes
Excerpt: from About.com is attached:
Humanity has always had a close relationship with bees, whose honey has have been a food staple since before the dawn of civilization. As a symbol, the bees' lifestyle mimics that of the human social order- a cooperative, productive social hierarchy. In fact, beekeeping is one of the earliest markers of civilized society- bees provided many of the necessities of advancement, providing not only food, but wax for metalworking, cosmetics, and medicines, as well as the ever-important pollinization of fruit trees and other food crops.
Hieroglyphic Bee symbolising the Kingdom of Lower Egypt
The cultivation of honey was a sacred charge often imbued with ritual symbolism and associated with the mother goddess, whose nurturing protection of mankind was symbolized by the the abundance of honey provided to bee society under the reign of the queen bee.
As it was widely believed that bees were born spontaneously, they were widely viewed as symbols of chastity and purity. The Bee's never-flagging labors made them an emblem of hard work, industriousness, teamwork, perseverence, charity, selflessness, and constancy. These virtues are recalled in many heraldic emblems and personal seals, as well as in the emblems of Freemasonry, the Church of Latter-Day Saints, and in countless trademarks.
Masonic Beehive emblem
Observances of the annual hibernation of the hives also resulted in the belief that thye died and were reborn annually, and this, along with their coloring, made them a natural solar symbol- and later, an emblem of Christ in to Christian believers. Greek followers of the goddess Demeter believed her priestesses would be reincarnated as bees; the priestesses of the Ephesian Diana were called melissae- bees.
2 comments:
I LOVE YOUR ART MRS.HRONKIN OMG ITS AMAZING LOL I THINK ONCE WE GET INTO A REALLY REALLY GOOD PROJECT YOU SHOULD DISPLAY OUR WORK ON ONE OF THESES OK WELL YOU ROCK ... GO GO ART WARRIOR!!YOU MIGHT MOPHIN ART WARRIOR LOL C YA LATER ...EMILY
The Bee Master
The elephants know you’re dead.
Their blurry, pink stampede
sat you up so fast, your life
slithered out with the snakes in your nose.
I am not responsible to elephants.
They trumpet your travel among themselves
until word is spread the length
of the river. The bees expect
quiet words delivered
by family, hidden in a familiar buzz,
not bellowed like headlines as tall as tusks.
Elephants will rumor the recipes
for your secret tropical breakfasts as loudly
as check-out tabloids. Bees will listen, politely
to the delicate details blooming on your cervix.
The doctors didn’t hear the trumpets; you explained
away your trembling -- as a fluttering of nerves.
Your mother drew the line across your eyes,
flattening the drone. No more should be
expected of her.
I must sleep with my silence.
Someone should whisper your death to the bees.
Copyright © 1997 Jeffrey Roberts
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