BEE HOUSE PROJECT
Honeybees and Homemakers: Pollination and Gendered Labor is a film and project funded by the Center for Pollinator Research at Penn State University drawing connections between the non-visible labor of honey bees and the traditional gender roles of women and domestic work. Conceived and made by Christina Dietz, the large-scale installation piece and short film were on display at the Great Insect Fair and Penn State University. The piece will permanently reside at the University Apiary on the Penn State Campus.
Photo by Helen Maser
The Bee House
A small structure that poses as a domestic space houses two observation hives and a video. The honeybee hives are installed in the windows of the house so the viewer can get a glimpse of what goes on inside of a hive.
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Photography by Helen Maser
2016
4’x 6’x 12’
Installation with house structure (wood, drywall, flooring, shingles), two honey bee hives
Observation hives (live honey bees, tempered glass, wood), and film
The Film
Honeybees and Homemakers: Pollination and Gendered Labor
2016 | 6:59 min.
Cinematography and editing: Michelle Nash
I am drawing connections between the nonvisible labor of honey bees and the traditional gender roles of women and domestic work. In both instances, the value of labor is lessened based on the lack of visibility it receives. In the video, we follow three young women in their work day as they perform the task of pollination. The women blur the lines between work and leisure as they must uphold a lovely appearance while toiling in the fields. Their hats perform as reproductive aids as they use the long proboscis to spread pollen from one flower to another. At the end of the day, they brush pollen from their skirts and collect their soiled gloves, both retiring for the day but preparing to work again tomorrow.
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Photography by
Helen Maser