Beehive Volcano

Object NameSculpture

Artist Dennis Oppenheim (American, 1938-2011)

Made FromNon-lead Glass

Datedesigned in 1979; made in 1989

Place MadeUnited States, NY, New York City

TechniqueMold-blown, applied

Accession Number93.4.91

Credit LinePartial gift of the artist

Curatorial Area(s)

Postwar and Contemporary

Not On View

Interpretive Notes

Web Text

Bees, beehives, and the communal industry that they represent are some of the themes of Beehive Volcano. Consisting of three mold-blown glass domes, the sculpture is accompanied by a soundtrack of buzzing bees. Here, Dennis Oppenheim compares the compressed social activity of the hive—and, by extension, any situation in which social behavior is controlled and suppressed—with the potentially explosive force of a volcano. The bright primary colors give the sculpture a playful, innocent air, masking the warning of its political message.

Physical DescriptionColorless with colorless wrap, transparent colors: amethyst, with green wrap, green with blue wrap non-lead glass, black plastic and cord, portable cassette tape player, cassette soundtrack; blown with hot applications, assembled. Large slightly conical bubble resting on wide end; varies in coloration, size and shape, has lipless opening at top, rest on flattened base with wide roughly-sawn (?) opening, overall body decoration of a thick wrap beginning at top opening and spiraling around body to base; hives have small portable stereo cassette players (Aiwa Super Bass HS-P102) each containing cassette soundtrack of buzzing bees attached to a small Sony speaker (F22C02M-1/8Q D. 2W/K.TONE) placed in base hole of hive, electrical cord snakes out from under glass to adjacent player. Aa) green body with blue wrap, tall and narrow, closely spaced wrap; Ba) amethyst with green wrap; Ca) colorless with colorless wrap, this section is smallest in height but has a wider squat form.
Provenance

Source Dennis Oppenheim (American, 1938-2011) - 1993-12-27