You Can Never Tell about Bees

You Can Never Tell about Bees

Kate Otley
Medium
Textiles
Material
Painted silk
Dimensions
229 x137 cm
Date created
1992
Acquisition
Donated by the artist, 2003
See Artist's profile

This hanging was based on the carving of an unnamed medieval scholar king on the west front of Wells Cathedral.  It is not possible to decipher what the king is reading, but the title of this work implies that Kate Otley has jokingly imagined it to be the Tao of Winnie the Pooh.  Kings are often depicted with lions at their feet, but the artist has chosen to show a leopard here as she felt that it was more feminine and, at the time of making this work, she was interested in examining the role of women.