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Monika
Schillat, ANTARCTIC BESTIARY, Editorial Fuegia, Ushuaia/Argentina,
2002, ISBN 987-96999-2-0 |
| Medieval
bestiaries depicted strange and mysterious creatures, allegories
from distant new lands filled with wonders. In countless
illuminated manuscripts from the Romanesque and Gothic periods,
animals, both real and fantastic, make their appearances.
The medieval painter reveled in visual descriptions of these
beasts, as both ancillary to the depictions of biblical
or historical scenes. The
bestiarium became one of the most important genres of
medieval secular manuscripts. Often the beast depicted
would be assigned a characteristic that accorded with
human behavior or personality traits; the bee would be
described as the paradigm of the model citizen, the beaver
as an industrious villager. Such classifications foreshadowed
the popularity of the encyclopedias of the Middle Ages
and the more scientific compilations of the Enlightenment.
Books
in medieval times bestowed a certain standing upon their
owners, and illuminated books, in particular, represented
wealth and power. Throughout their history, illuminated
books must have been appreciated as works of art, and
certainly in the Renaissance they were commissioned and
collected as such.
[monks
at work]
Monks in cloisters, bowed over books, pens in hand, were
busy illuminating the collections for people to learn
about strange beasts and other wonderful things. First
of all, the materials – vellum and parchment, ink,
coloured pigments, powdered gold and gold leaf –
would be prepared and gathered together. The vellum and
parchment, from calf or sheep skin, was laboriously prepared:
soaked in water and lime, then scraped and stretched.
Once dried, the vellum was folded into halves, quarters
or eights, depending on the required size of the book.
These pages would then be trimmed and stitched together.
Ink was made from powdered carbon – soot or lamp-black
or irongall – which was kept in a cow horn, and
materials for the coloured pigments came from a variety
of animal, vegetable and mineral sources.
Once
the materials had been gathered and prepared, the paper
marked, and the illuminator had indicated the spaces needed
for the decorated borders, initial letters and miniatures,
the scribe could begin work. With a pen in one
hand and a curved knife in the other, the latter being
used for sharpening the pen and scraping out mistakes.
And
there are still scribes and illuminators among us. Even
the techniques of illumination used today are very similar
to those used in medieval times. Today we would like to
present a modern book, full of extraordinary designs for
initials and miniatures inspired by different styles,
such as Celtic, Romanesque and Gothic. The author - imagening
what would have happened if a group of medieval monks
and scholars had reached the White Continent - presents
us with a wonderful collection of stories about antarctic
animals.
Monika
Schillat´s recent work takes its cue from the ancient
compendia of knowledge. Part historian and visual alchemist,
she creates in delicate ink and watercolour sketches simulacra
of a medieval Antarctic bestiary. Thereby she conjures
up inner thoughts, codification of human as well as animal
habits and symbols of emotional states. Penguins are addicted
to music. They play the harp and listen to the lute. A
leopard seal becomes a metaphor of terror. The snowy sheathbill
may be understood as an emblem of peace and hope. But
fun also plays a key role in this beastly gathering. Sirenes
and dragons are part of the animals living in the medieval
Antarctic. The result is both beautiful and amusing.
Graciela Ramacciotti
Price:
US$ 12,- |
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FIRST
ANTARCTIC READER, Carin Clevidence, Rita Matthews, Monika
Schillat, Tony Soper, Gerald Webers, Gunter Weller, Editorial
Fuegia, 2001 (photographs by Monika Schillat).
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There
are many accounts of polar exploration, but this is the
first one written by a team of nowadays adventurers, scientists
and lecturers, expedition staff, who work onboard modern
cruise vessels and icebreakers, helping travelers to understand
the complex environment of Antarctica. The White Continent
has left a restless longing in their hearts. Touched by
its overwhelming beauty they keep coming back each Southern
summer to work there. But Antarctica is no longer a space
of imagination for them. They call it home and their book
has narrative drive, a scholarly grasp of geological, biological
and historical fact and true passion for the subject.
The seven superb essays in this volume vividly attest to
the sincerity and depth of their authors´gifts as
powerful and knowledged storytellers. They have been written
in different corners of the world. Fairbanks in Alaska and
Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego are only two of the various
locations.
Price: US$ 10,- |
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ANTARCTICA.
A GUIDE TO THE WILDLIFE, Tony Soper, Bradt Travel Guides,
Third Edition, 2000 (Illustrations by Dafila Scott).
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The
storm-tossed Southern Ocean and the inhospitable landscape
of Antarctica combine to form one of the last true wildernesses
on earth. They are also home to vast numbers of animals,
from the tiny shrimps of the zooplankton to the penguins,
albatrosses, seals and great whales for which this extraordinary
region is justly famed. In this fully revised edition of
Antarctica. A Guide to the Wildlife, Dafila Scott´s
sensitive illustrations combine with Tony Soper´s
lively text to create a unique guide and a book that will
give lasting pleasure. Whether you are a dedicated naturalist
or an expedition member in search of a deeper understanding
of the continent, this is the ideal companion.
Price: US$ 20,- |
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TIERRA
DEL FUEGO. MATERIALES PARA EL ESTUDIO DE LA HISTORIA REGIONAL,
María Teresa Luiz / Monika Schillat, Editorial Fuegia,
1997.
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Uniendo
esfuerzos y coordinando intereses de investigación
las autoras del presente libro ofrecen al gran público
una visión mucho más amplia de la historia
de esta región que la que se tenía hasta el
presente. El estudio trata de explicar la génesis
histórica de la realidad fueguina actual desde el
descubrimiento de las costas septentrionales de Tierra del
Fuego en 1520 hasta la segunda década del siglo XX,
cuando se producen cambios substanciales en el devenir de
toda la región. Al cambiar el paso del Atlántico
al Pacífico, tras la apertura del Canal de Panamá,
se modifica también la relación norte-sur
y el extremo austral de América pasa entonces a la
perifería de los acontecimientos políticos
y económicos internacionales.
Precio. US$ 20,- |
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