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When I saw that Einstein had said, “If the bee disappears from the surface of the earth, man would have no more than four years to live. No more bees, no more pollination...no more men,” I began researching Colony Collapse Disorder, a recent worldwide phenomenon in which worker bees from a beehive or honey bee colony abruptly disappear, leading to the death of the hive. Soon after, I was building beehives in my studio, one cell at a time, just as the honeybee does. I created these sculptures with a hexagonal mesh similar to a honeycomb, and with porcelain, beeswax, gold leaf and resin. Individually these are fragile materials, but combined they create a very strong, solid structure. Just like a beehive.
It is my desire that each person who encounters this work will become more aware of the plight of the bees and will do something to help. Art heals. It is our responsibility, as artists, to raise awareness—and from awareness, positive action.
If the current decline of hives continues, honeybees will be extinct by the year 2035. A world without color, fruit or flowers, in less than 27 years seems unfathomable. But it is not. The honeybee is a highly evolved, super-organized social creature that is absolutely fundamental to our survival. - Judi Harvest
Judi Harvest is represented by Venice Design Art Gallery in Venice, Italy
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