The bees by Carla Mines

The South London Entomological and Natural History Society 1915-16 reported a deeply rooted superstition that if a death occurred in the family, the bees had to be told or they would all die during the coming year. I found a poem by Rudyard Kipling called, 'The Bee-Boy Song' which carried on this superstition.

 I have been looking at bees making nests in the wild, some on the ground, others in the trees. With the country leaving the EU the laws surrounding  the use of horrid pesticides on agricultural land are in jeopardy. We need to protect the bees.

  I decided that I would like to make a piece of work called, 'Tell the Bees'. This pictures shows the beginnings of the piece. I have made labels showing bees . In the poem, Rudyard  quotes, 'Marriage, birth or  buryin, news across the seas, all your sad and merry in, you must tell the bees.' So on the reverse of the labels I have put my news. 

Then I gave labels to my friends and colleagues and asked if they would like to add some news and these are some of them.

If you would like to contribute, make or reuse an old label  8 x4 cmx. decorated as you like and send them to Stephanie Wooster, University of the West of  England, Clanage Road, Bower Ashton, Bristol BS3  8 JJ. You can also contribute within our exhibition, 'Underpinning' @ 44AD, 4 Abbey Street, Bath BA1 1NN, From 5th 10th September. 11am -5pm. It will be lovely to meet you.