On the creation of 'Honey Bee Suite'

I began working on the series I call, "Honey Bee Suite," shortly after learning that something called Colony Collapse Disorder was taking an alarming toll on the global bee population. Climate change, environment, loss of habitat and pesticide use are just a few of the causes.

I began with a simple repetition of a honeycomb cell covering the painting surface in a grid-like pattern. I painted the cells in blue and red in a random but harmonious order. Over time, the honeycomb morphed into diamonds as I began layering the nylon netting (with which fruits and vegetables are packaged) into the work.

The idea was threefold: the nylon infused the work with surface texture and depth; it became an effective way to recycle the material; and in a bit of irony, it is an underlying symbolic link to a food crop that may very well have been pollinated by bees.

-- Joseph Verrastro lives and works in Buffalo, NY

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