An exhibition of wildlife paintings in Dunfermline aims not only to delight nature lovers, but also highlight the impact of climate change and humanity’s behaviour on Scotland’s changing flora and fauna.
Bho Bheul An Eòin – From The Bird’s Mouth displays illustrations created by Tayside artist Derek Robertson for a project to create Scots Gaelic names for animals and plants that have appeared across the nation since the late 19th Century, though mainly over the past few decades.
Showcasing new arrivals
On show at Carnegie Library & Galleries are 40 detailed watercolours of arrivals ranging from tiny snow algae (lìrean-sbeachda) now found in our higher mountains to muntjac deer – dubbed fiadh-comhartaich or “barking deer”- that have started to appear in the Lowlands.
An adult Gaelic learner himself, Derek Robertson (or Ruairidh MacDhonnchaidh in this native tongue) has long been a volunteer on nature projects as well as an established painter, who found a gap in his vocabulary, he explains.
“I live and work two months of the year in Skye,” he says. “As well as my painting reflecting environmental subjects, I write and speak about our changing wildlife – sometimes in Gaelic. I noticed that many new species didn’t yet have Gaelic names.
Gaelic is living and evolving
“People often describe Gaelic as traditional, old-fashioned or threatened, but that isn’t my experience.
“It’s a living language that is continually creative and engaged with the world. In addition, Gaelic has beautiful traditions and conventions in naming plants and animals and has a world-view that is reflected in these names and the strong links the language has with the land.
“It’s very unsatisfying and uncomfortable to just borrow English words for them when natural naming patterns exist that better place the species within the living tradition of the language.”
Derek began three years ago by forming a panel of experts, including scientists, researchers and linguists, to select relevant species and then come up with suitable monikers, based on scientific terms, names in other languages and their place in Scottish ecology.
From The Bird’s Mouth is already making a difference, adds the Balmerino-based artist, He has published a book with the same title as the Dunfermline show that contains the illustrations, and explains in both English and Gaelic how these birds, sea creatures and more have arrived here.
In reference collections
“We have deposited the books in reference collections,” he says. “And the names are already being used in translations for articles and texts.”
Before Fife, the exhibition has shown in Inverness, on the Isle of Lewis and even appeared in Glasgow during last year’s Cop26 United Nations Climate Change Conference.
Derek also has an exhibition at the Meffan Museum, Forfar, titled Migrations – A Field Study of Adversity, but believes his Gaelic project remains ongoing.
“It is largely complete, but there is an impetus to extend Gaelic names using similar processes – I am working with friends to list names for all bird species that have appeared in Scotland.”
Bho Bheul An Eòin – From The Bird’s Mouth is at Dunfermline Carnegie Library & Galleries until 12 October. The book is also available from fromthebirdsmouth.com
Conversation