Researching Riso—and Rethinking Pigeons
Started some riso research today using zines my husband and I have collected—one about pigeons really stood out.
Today, I spent some time doing research for a new risograph project I'm about to start. For inspiration, I looked through the collection of riso works that my husband and I have gathered over time—prints and zines made by different risograph artists from around the world.
The one that immediately caught my eye was a zine about pigeons from RISO POP, a riso studio in Amsterdam. Over the past year, I’ve been hearing people talk about pigeons more and more—especially my husband and friends—so when I saw this zine released, I took it as a sign! The shipping ended up costing more than the zine itself, but I still went ahead and ordered it without hesitation—click!
Pigeons are everywhere, and when they gather in big flocks, they can feel kind of annoying—but this zine taught me that humans and pigeons have had a close relationship since the times of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. Their incredible ability to find their way home has helped people in many ways, and realizing that made me feel it’s kind of rude to treat them with disdain.
I’m still reading it, but I think I’ve already started feeling a little closer to pigeons—going from “ugh” to “aww,” just maybe!