went to see BeeEye at the imagine festival at rit on may 4th, 2013. it’s a wonderful video installation by my friend, artist and filmmaker cat ashworth. talking about the disappearance of honeybees, one of the beekeepers called it a “human collapse disorder” rather than a colony collapse disorder. he explained how humans have much to learn from the honeybee, which is primarily community oriented. “bees don’t have egos” he continued. he went on to discuss darwin’s theory of evolution and how it was misrepresented. survival of the fittest has become a dogma, he said, altho that’s an incorrect understanding of what darwin meant. it is the ability to adapt to and coexist with one’s environment which ensures survival, what we should call survival of the kindest, the most symbiotic. excellent videography and terrific musical score by eastman school of music professor and composer carlos sanchez-gutierrez.
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BeeEye by Cat Ashworth – artist’s statement:
“The honeybee reminds us of the interconnectedness of all life. The intricate cellular structure that the honeybee makes in the hive reminds us that all things in life have a pattern. I want the audience to enter the hexagon cell and immerse themselves in the sights and sounds of the honeybee.
I became interested in the honeybee in 2006, when Colony Collapse Disorder was killing off hives all over the world. First I became a beekeeper then I started filming bees and other beekeepers. I started off making a traditional documentary, but as I was editing the material, I discovered I liked just watching the abstract flight patterns the bees made. I decided to take the project in a different direction, and create an artwork that is more abstract.
Honeybees speak in a language different from humans. Much of the practice of beekeeping relies on the power of observation. I tried to keep talking at a minimum in this project, so that the audience can begin to glimpse into a life form that is very different from humans. Although humans and honeybees have had a relationship for thousands of years, the honeybee remains wild, and many of her secrets remain hidden.”
