Queen Bee

1 1/2 hour performance and installation

steel gallery, seattle, wa

…the queen bee’s place lies between head and heart, and the drones become the cells, which are constantly renewed.  The whole builds a unity, which has to function perfectly, but in a humane warm way through principles of cooperation and brotherhood.  
– Joseph Beuys, 1979

Queen Bee is a culmination of ideas and critique of fairytales with an investigation of their relevance to contemporary culture. Fairytales introduce an idyllic world.  They present narratives with trickery and darkness, but always conclude with happily ever after. This work suggests the seductive nature of getting lost in the attraction of beauty, and realizing the gruesome truths of myths.  My role as an artist and my motivation for working is to offer an empathetic response to the painful contrast of these dreams and our reality.

Considering the social norms of modern day and the roles that are associated with gender, Queen Bee reveals the history and questions the recurring themes connected to female socialization. My relation to the queen and her primary function of reproduction are a reflection of the expectations and responsibilities of women in our society.