Artist Collaborates With Bees To Create Delicate Embroideries (10 Pics)
Ava Roth is an artist who has proved that humans are not the only creative beings on this Earth. Her “Honeybee Collaboration series” shows the creative potential of honeybees. Evolving slowly for about four years, this art series has gained lots of appreciation on the internet.
For creating these artworks, the artist stitches geometric patterns on Japanese rice paper. Then she installs some leaves and pebbles in her custom-made maple frames. The rest of the art work is taken over by the bees.
In an interview with DeMilked, the artist revealed, “This project began as a natural outgrowth of my work with bees as encaustic artist. Working with beeswax as a medium quickly inspired me to learn about the plight of bees globally, and specifically about Colony Collapse Disorder. Honey bees are often considered a harbinger of the health of our planet, and their mass global disappearance is interpreted by many as an indicator of our environment’s peril. My interest in using beeswax as a source material was fundamentally changed by my knowledge of the risk bees face globally. Inevitably, my artistic expression became completely intertwined with my chosen medium, and with the ecological implications of these materials. In this context, the inter-species collaboration took root.”
Check out some of her wonderful works in the gallery below.
#1
Image Source: Ava Roth
Roth further elaborated, “This project is collaborative in the truest sense — not just a top down directive from me to the bees. Working on their time, in their cycles, and with their particular needs in mind, I have learned what materials the bees respond to, how long to keep pieces in the hive before honey or brood is deposited, how to anticipate the color or depth of the comb, and most challenging of all, negotiating with them over which areas will and will not have comb. I work seasonally according to the natural cycle of the bees in this region. This means that winters are spent in my studio making my contribution to the project (the encaustic collages and frames that will be placed in hives), and summers are spent actively working with bees throughout the region. I rely heavily on the help of Master Beekeeper
“It is important for me to mention that each piece is made with non-toxic materials inside traditional Langstroth hive frames. I do not manipulate conditions, such as the structure of the hive or the time it takes the bees to naturally build comb. No bees are harmed or compromised in the making of this work,” she added.
#2
Image Source: Ava Roth
#3
Image Source: Ava Roth
#4
Image Source: Ava Roth
#5
Image Source: Ava Roth
#6
Image Source: Ava Roth
#7
Image Source: Ava Roth
#8
Image Source: Ava Roth
#9
Image Source: Ava Roth
#10
Image Source: Ava Roth
Got wisdom to pour?