Dodaars op nest in het water c. 1870 - 1940

Adolphe Burdet made this tiny photographic print of a Little Grebe, or Dodaars, on its nest sometime between 1880 and 1920. The black and white tones suggest a documentary impulse, but look closer and you’ll find a world of subtle greys. It's a process of light and shadow, much like painting. The texture of the nest is so dense and complex. It looks like a cross between a bird’s nest and a beaver dam, tightly woven from natural materials. See how the reeds in the water reflect the light, creating these delicate, almost calligraphic lines? They remind me of Cy Twombly's scribbles, but here they are in nature, not made by the hand of man. It’s a quiet scene, almost meditative. Burdet shows us how even the simplest images can hold layers of meaning and feeling if we take the time to really look. This little photograph, is part of an ongoing conversation about nature, art and seeing that continues to inspire.