Acknowledging the dangers faced by British bees, Kurt Jackson has spent the past few years exploring the world of pollinators, producing a collection of pieces that are also informed by his grounding in the sciences and his experience as a beekeeper in Cornwall.
Bees (and the odd wasp) in My Bonnet brings this body of work together and includes both plein air and studio pieces embracing an extensive range of materials and techniques including mixed media, large canvases, print making, sculpture and film.
“My interests in the natural history of bees and wasps goes back to my youth.” says Kurt Jackson. “ As a student reading Zoology at Oxford University I joined an expedition to the Venezuelan Amazon and brought back half a dozen [thought to be new to science] wasp specimens with drawings and information about their nests…” – Kurt Jackson 2016
“This is a wonderful opportunity to view the excellent work of a contemporary artist whose art is concerned with the natural environment. Combining Kurt Jackson’s pieces with current science chimes with ambitions to reflect different approaches to natural history …..the interface of art, science and nature.” – Professor Paul Smith, director of the Oxford University Museum of Natural History.
This exhibition has toured from its initial prestigious opening at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History in 2016 (where it attracted over 100,000 visitors) to take up residence at the Jackson Foundation Gallery in Cornwall 2017.
For more information and images from this exhibition, please visit the Jackson Foundation website.
Kurt Jackson – Bees (and the Odd Wasp) in my Bonnet
18 March – 29 September 2016.
Oxford University Museum of Natural History,
Parks Rd, Oxford,
OX1 3PW.
25 March – 19 August 2017.
Jackson Foundation,
North Row, St Just,
Cornwall, TR19 7LB.
