Randy Orzano

Randy Orzano. Artist

I place paper and canvas in beehives.  Concerned foremost with process, I merge the collaborative method with the natural cycle of the bee, as I reuse the hive’s own products:

 

• Create drawings inspired by something found outside.

• Cut and fold paper or canvas to create a road map for the bees.

• Invite bees to collaborate by placing the drawing in the hive.

• Fuse the bees’ marks with paint.

 

Tearing and discarding bits of paper while they work, the bees deposit wax on the surface or embalm the edges and rough surfaces with propolis.  The canvas and the paper become embedded in the hive structure.  

 

My awareness of the process and understanding of the bee have evolved from a fear of exploitation of nature to a sense of conversation.  Our culture also experiences two sides in its relationship to animals: it has the potential both to harm and to nurture.