I am trying to create a
visual, olfactory and sound installation to compliment my duo exhibition with Cathryn Miller at the
Mendel Art Gallery in January 2015, which focuses on the bees and its link to
our lives.
Concurrent with my exhibition; my students will be creating
papier-mâché bees for a beehive-like installation, and a colony collapse sculpture
from clay, that will be installed at the Meewasin Valley Centre.
I am creating a multi-sensory link between the two exhibitions along the riverbank,
creating a temporary art walk. The project is funded in part by the City of Saskatoon - Placemaker program.
I will install interlinked clay
honeycomb shapes in the trees, in clusters. These hexagons that are interlinked
and can't separate and will be dipped in beeswax; that's where the sense of smell
comes in. they will be installed in the trees about every 50 meters along the
riverbank from the Mendel (beginning in the Conservatory) to the Meewasin
(ending inside the 3D beehive made by my students) from December to the end February of
2015. It is estimated that there
will be 45 clusters for the riverbank walk and another 15 for the other locations around Saskatoon. The
interconnected hexagons are a symbol of colony collapse and the
interconnectedness of all of us in the world. The hexagons will move in the wind and will create an
interesting sound along the riverbank.
Saskatchewan potters who
are members of SASK Terra will be involved in the project, making hexagons in
their studio, sending them to me and I will interconnect them in my
studio. This part of the project
will really create the sense of a beehive where many people work together to
create one piece.
I think it will be
interesting introduce the visual and the smell of beehives to the trail in the
middle of winter. It will be totally unexpected and will create conversation,
which is what I like to do with my work. Plus, smelling part of summer in
winter can't hurt in a place that is so cold.
I am also creating hexagon clusters with students and will post images here of that process as well. I have worked with students in three schools so far to create hexagon clusters for at the Meewasin Valley Center. St John School, Pope John Paul II School and Georges Vanier School.
Hexagon tiles for St. John School drying
More shots from St. John School, the presentation, the explanation and the creating.
Rolling the slabs in my studio
Explaining the Process
Making Hexagons