The Honeycomb Reticulum
Maker
Joanna Chow
Production date
2004
Description
Joanna Chow’s work ‘The Honeycomb Reticulum’ is made up of multiple moulds of the lining of the second compartment of the three pre-stomachs of the cow. It was named due to its visual similarity to the honeycomb. It is an edible delicacy particularly for the Chinese and goes by the names of honeycomb and tripe in European culinary vernacular. Joanna Chow uses these interior castings to accentuate the way we as viewers respond to the body. At first glance they appear innocuous but as their true nature becomes apparent the viewer goes through a range of reactions where logic and emotion conflict. This work was the Joint winner of the Trust Waikato National Contemporary Art Awards 2004, (alongside Donna Sarton and Geoffrey Heath).
Joanna Chow is an Auckland based artist who studied Fine Arts at Elam, University of Auckland. Her works reference organic matter and the way perceptions can be altered or influenced through material, visual and emotional triggers. Chow has employed numerous methods to explore these ideas including casting body parts, growing mould and fungi and fabricating body parts. Her intention is not just to elicit a response but to challenge our own relationship to the body.
Object detail
mortar cement and wood card table
155 x 115 x 90mm (smallest) to
260 x 175 x 150mm (largest)
Card Table:
665 x 740 x 740mm (h x w x d)
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