Oology

Centum Nec Plura III | full colour riso print | 43 pages | 2017 | edition 100

Between March 30 and April 3 2017, Miek Zwamborn and Sandra Merten (bookbinder at Gottlieben, Switzerland) managed to identify every bird they saw in the vicinity of Knockvologan. They counted 26 different species among which were a Whimbrel, a White-tailed Eagle, a Lapwing, a Redwing, a Guillemot, a Shelduck, a Snipe and a Shag. Some of these birds, together with their nests and eggs are the subject of CPN III.

In 1892 Richard and Cherry Kearton were the very first people to photograph bird nests in situ. Together they published dozens of books with descriptions and images of what we today would call ‘wildlife’. The brothers were inventive and adventurous with their camera work and equipment. They used a heavy glass negative camera mounted on a tripod which had to be carried out to the field sites. They designed their own shelters, hides and camouflage clothes, and were undeterred by the apparent inaccessibility of some of their subjects. As a result they were able to get stunning close up photographs of nests with birds, eggs and chicks.

Oology consists of a selection of the Keartons’ original works, handcrafted marbled plover paper, a poem for a Hooded Crow, a Common Snipe a Guillemot and a topographical map of a single broken egg.

On 20.12.2017 Knockvologan Studies presented Oology during an egg symposium in the Artis Zoo Library in Amsterdam followed by lectures of Hans Mulder, Jeroen van Westen, Ab Baars, Jan de Hond, Ilja Nieuwland and a drawing class by Bas Teunis.

Images: Richard & Cherry Kearton, Miek Zwamborn
Text: Miek Zwamborn
English Translation: Michele Hutchison
German translation Bettina Bach
Sprinkled paper: Sandra Merten
Broken lapwing egg: Rutger Emmelkamp
Design: Jo Frenken
Font: Linotype Cochin
Paper: 100g/m2 Eos 2.0, 80 & 90 g/m 2 Munken Print, 60g/m2 IBO one, 230 g/m2 Rainbow, 57 g/m2 Transphère, 60 g/m2 Normaset Puro, 50 g/m2 Toni
Printing techniques: Stencil print, Inktjet
Production: Charles Nypels Lab, Van Eyck, Maastricht
Edition 100