Plate 32. Black-billed Cuckoo 

Curator: This is Plate 32, featuring a Black-billed Cuckoo by John James Audubon, created with watercolor, drawing, and possibly plein-air techniques on toned paper. What’s your first impression? Editor: Intimate. Almost voyeuristic. I feel like I’m hiding in the leaves, spying on these birds in their habitat. There's such a fragile grace. Curator: I'm struck by Audubon’s ambition, really. He didn't just want to capture the likeness of a bird; he sought to depict it in action, interacting with its environment, specifically, the Magnolia grandiflora which locates the bird within a specific eco-system of the American South. Editor: Absolutely, and it is far more than mere scientific illustration. It has this Romantic flourish with almost theatrical lighting. Look how the white blossom contrasts against the bird’s dark feathers! It adds such a dramatic weight to the piece. I’m curious, how did Audubon approach this, practically? Curator: It is believed that Audubon often used wires and other means to pose the birds. His process was laborious; this blend of naturalism and the artificial interests me, he straddles high art and craft while simultaneously making an artifact that transcends both. We have to remember that these were subscription based volumes so printing and distribution, hence wider social context is highly important. Editor: That tension really gives it a unique energy, doesn't it? Like nature meticulously re-arranged. The foliage is rendered with a jeweler's eye to details. It feels like nature observed then stylized, elevated to become a cultural artifact that points to our own intervention within the world. Curator: That is beautifully put. Ultimately it reveals not only the birds of America but America’s own ambition and commercial reach. Editor: It’s a delicate dance, I think, that elevates the eye but simultaneously, asks important questions about seeing and making.