Bee (1997)
This sculpture began as a sculpture presentting materials that I intended to use in the BananaFeelyEye at Impression 5 Museum in Lansing Michigan.    My experience with so called science museums or centers is that they are not friendly places for art.  the exceptions are the Exploratorium in San Franscisco and the Ontarion Museum Science Museum.  Visitors to the others are mainly kids, some of whom accept the "hands on" ebcouragement  of these institutions as a challenge to break things.  Ovbjects, including art objects must be "bullet proof."   Frequently the management has no experience with art and regards art objects as temporary exhibits, subject to modificatuions with little concern for the creator's intent.  The display staff is primarily occupied with repairing exhibits and modify them to withsatnd the onslaught.   Staff and management will freely copy form and function of visiting exhibits to add to their permanent collections.
It was with some difficulty including a threat of lawsuit that, when the commission of the bananaFeelyEye was finished, I rescued the sample from the "feely tunnel" that the museum's design staff  built for another exhibit.




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