This portrait was painted by Mark Ryden in 2013 and was featured in Juxtapoz magazine in 2016. It stands out from his other works by departing from his common use of many components to tell an elaborate story. This piece has a somber feeling and focuses on just two elements, demanding the viewer's focus. The central doll-like figure holds an empty gaze and a pout. This gives the viewer the chance to interpret her expression freely.
The second element, a bee, hovers just above the figure while it is busy at work on its hive. This hive is being crafted out of the young girl’s hair, along with grass and leaves. Honeybees are known to only flourish as a hive, yet this honeybee is completely isolated. This once again leaves it up to the viewer to draw their own conclusion. Bees tend to make their way into many of Mark Ryden’s works to symbolize the interconnectedness of life and the need to protect the environment.
Mark Ryden pays artisans to create intricate, beautiful frames for his work. This frame in particular showcases additional bees seemingly working to contribute to his painting. This portrait was made for charity, and its proceeds went to the World Wildlife Fund.
Ryden is the way maker for Pop Surrealism starting in the 1990s. He is known as the “godfather of pop surrealism” and implementing various cultural and political motifs into his subject matter. Most commonly he incorporates bees, bunnies, and Abraham Lincoln. Bees resemble our connection to all things big and small, bunnies are a reminder of childhood and innocence, and Lincoln is for liberty and human rights. The viewer is taken on a journey of nostalgia and mystic through every visual. The feeling of a fairytale that has been teleported into another, darker, dimension is embedded into each piece.
