"... work begun in the dazzling sunshine receives its crown in the darkness."
The Life of the Bee, Maurice Maeterlinck, 1903
A visual exploration of the mysterious and poetic workings of an apiary. Bevelled glass and mirrors fracture and re-frame sequences of high-speed video, drawing attention to the delicate rhythms and architectures of the hives.
Presented on two adjacent monitors, the video loops compare intricate honeycomb structures with man-made frames; the collective behaviours of a colony with the minuscule movements of individual bees.
Each scene is partially obscured by thick vertical shadows - the result of a unique projection and re-capture process. The shadows distance the viewer from the work as we feel ourselves peeping at the insects from behind a barred window or grate. Faint, offset reflections appear in these dark areas, creating repeating patterns in the video that echo the complex geometries of the hives.
Completed in 2010, the International Year of Biodiversity.
CREDITS
Camera: Emma Dalesman
Editor: Will Martin
Produced by Myriam Blundell
Shot on location in Kent, England and at the Willums Art Foundation, Pourrières, France
With thanks to Barbara and Keith Harris, Doris Woller
Screening format: DVD
Ratio 2 x 4:3
Length 00:05:45 loop
© Michaela Nettell, 2010