Stachys Byzantina

'The Rambyzant' "Stachys Byzantina Bovidae aka the Rambyzant, spotted along the coastal headland of Bridgwater Bay. Rare and beautiful to behold thanks to its highly unusual coat: the wool has inexplicably developed into a thick, felty perennial known as ‘Lambs Ear’. Due to the thick hairs on the leafy coat, the Rambyzant is often surrounded by Anthidium Manicatum: The Wool-Carder Bee. This curious and solitary bee gains its name by shaving hairs from plant stems, which it bundles up and uses in the construction of brood cells. Essentially the Rambyzant acts as a healthy and mobile supply of building materials for the Wool-Carder, whilst the ram gains a modicum of solace from the heat during the summer months thanks to the pilgrimage of the miniature barbers." Medium: Photopolymer Print.

I was inspired by this piece of work from Stachys Byzantina due to its striking mix of natural structure layered in a way which creates a diverse impressionistic expression of the animal. By showing nature in its purest form (flora/ fauna) in place of the ram's normal coat we see the animal in a much more natural light rather than an animal used for production (coats, jackets, scarves). This is something I am working on in my own work by incorporating flowers into my imagery to break down the visual divide between product/ pest and natural substance surrounded by our pre conditioned idea of what a bee is and what a bee's purpose is.