“Red and Black Deer With Indians: Journey Of the Poor Wayfaring Strangers” by Hailey Fiel
I lazily scrolled through my professor’s digital folder filled with artwork that I would probably never get to see in person feeling uninspired and disinterested in the task at hand. I toyed with the idea of finding my own artwork to analyze from elsewhere, but I didn’t have anything particular in mind, and it seemed like much more work than just picking a random piece out of the folder provided by my teacher. Then, by some stroke of fate, I saw it: a deer composed of white, constellation-like dots painted against a plain black background. It was my dad again. That is, he’s been showing me signs like this for almost a year now. Ever since the day he died, deer have appeared throughout my life under curious circumstances, often standing in close proximity to me for long periods of time. Strong contemplation on the meaning of these signs have often plagued my thoughts for hours, but I could never seem to come to a solid conclusion. Maybe this painting could provide some answers...
Upon further examination, I noticed that the piece, which I later found to be titled Red And Black Deer With Indians, had a distinct division between the left and right side of the painting. I turned on my analytical brain and began to ponder the meaning behind this conspicuous detail. The stark contrast in style and color of the two sides suggested to me that they were representative of separate realms, perhaps Life and Death, with Life being represented on the right by the free-flowing style and vibrant colors and Death being represented on the left with simple stippled constellation-esque patterns and a monochromatic color scheme. As my eyes continued to scan the piece, I couldn’t help but notice that the bisection of the painting was not centered; the black and white side of the painting, Death, was ever so slightly larger than the colorful side, Life. This unobtrusive detail couldn’t escape my mind; it seemed to be mocking my own mortality, reminding me that life is a temporary, miniscule part of our existence. Scientifically speaking, you have always existed and you always will. That is, the atoms that make up our bodies will last to the end of time. But this awesome thing called life isn’t so permanent, and this minute detail in the painting was an explicit reminder of that harsh reality. I guess, if nothing else, it's comforting to know that little molecules of me will be floating around for the foreseeable future.
Beyond the overall division of the piece, my eyes were subtly guided to the right—Life. I am immediately drawn to the subjects of this section of the piece, particularly the two large red and black deer and the flowing human figure on the side of what I’ve interpreted as a green cliff.
The orientation and flow of these subjects sweeps the eye to the center-left of the painting, towards Death. This great convergence to the center-left is further emphasized by the accompanying animal print-like symbols, a slanted red and black cliff filled with people and deer bidding farewell, and what I can only discern as a large red bird or footprint acting functionally as a giant arrow in the top right-hand corner. Where are our three subjects going? Why are they leaving behind their loved ones on the red and black cliff? It seemed to me that they were in limbo between Life and Death, embarking on a great journey to the other side, which is presented literally in the artist’s depiction of the subjects movement to the other side of the painting.
Without a careful eye, one might miss the tiny words, “RED AND BLACK DEER”, inscribed on top of the green cliff, a detail I must’ve missed the first five times I saw this painting. I wondered what was so significant about the color red and black in this piece that that artist felt he needed to spell it out in the title and on the piece itself. After further contemplation, I came to the realization that the sole connection between the two sides of the painting—Life and Death—was the color black. The color black, being the final color we see when we close our eyes for the last time, suggests darkness and death. Although red is a slightly more ambiguous color than black, I ultimately believe that red in this painting represents blood or, in other words, Life. The connection of red (Life) and black (Death) in the piece signifies the inseparable, complex relationship between Life and Death. The fact that black and red are both represented on this side of the painting corroborates the claim that the subjects are on a journey to the other side, stuck between two realms of existence.
Although not as small as the inscription, the two Native American subjects on the bottom of the painting can almost go unnoticed without close attention. This seemingly minor detail was quite intriguing to me. Why did the artist choose to collage two realistic subjects to a painting with an otherwise impressionistic, almost abstract, style, and what was the significance of this contrast to the overall meaning of the piece? Unlike the other subjects of this piece, the two Native American subjects were presented to the viewer as complex beings—both literally, in the sense that they were visually more complex than the rest of the piece, and figuratively, in that the subjects were portrayed as real humans with thoughts, feelings, and emotions, not just abstract figures floating through space. As my eye fixated on these two subjects (which were intentionally placed below everything else), I was subtly guided upward through the rest of the subjects of the piece—from crowded cliff, to sprinting antelope, to single deer—which all seemed to get ever-simpler as the eye moved further left. The Native Americans were standing calmly outside of the chaos of Life and the darkness of Death indefinitely; they were keenly aware that the abstract, yet simple nature of Life and Death was above them, not something to be over analyzed, but something to be appreciated for what it is.
After being enamored with the complexities of Life for quite a while, my gaze was compelled to the other side of the painting—Death.
To look Death in the eye and analyze it’s subtle nuances proved to be a troubling task. I was first drawn to the focal point of the left side of this painting, once again forced to confront my personal relationship with the deer. Why was the deer alone on this side of the painting? Why was he facing directly toward the subjects on the right? Feeling a bit perplexed on the meaning of the deer, I turned to Native American wisdom for guidance. In my research, I found a detailed guide on Native American symbolism which stated that deer are seen in Native American culture as “good powers and can be messengers in many different ways” (Lake-Thom, “Animal Signs”). Additionally, the guide notes that “[i]f [a] deer comes close... and hangs around, it is trying to bring you a message from the spirit world. Thank it for coming and ask it to talk to you in a dream, in a language you can understand” (Lake-Thom, “Animal Signs”). This information brought incredibly profound new meaning to this piece and to my personal experience with deer. The orientation of the deer indicated to me that he was there to deliver a message. But what of the delicate trail of white dots leading to the deer’s heart? I had a feeling that this detail was an homage to the “good power” of the deer; whatever the message was, it wasn’t malicious. But what message was the deer sending to me about my dad? to the subjects on the right? I suppose I'll have to search for the coveted answer in my dreams.
Aside from the stippled deer, I felt lost in the sea of white specks that composed the entirety of the left side of this painting. The dots seemed to lay out a clear map to the answer of everything, and it seemed so obvious to me that the constellations must’ve contained a hidden message that had been written in the stars all along; I need only look harder to see it. Yet, there I sat, staring at the simple layout of white on black, seeing nothing that needed further analysis. Death is simple.
As I came to the end of my evaluation of this wonderful piece, I heard the tune of an all too familiar song playing through my head:
“I am a poor wayfaring stranger
While traveling through this world of woe But there's no sickness, toil, or danger
In that bright land to which I go”
It was the song I sang at my dad’s funeral. What questions could this song answer that were being left unanswered by the painting? Could this song be the message I was unable to receive from the deer in the painting? Ultimately, I think we’re all just poor wayfaring strangers trying to get to where we’re going. Maybe no one knows what to expect when we get there, but it’s clear to me now that it’ll be simple and peaceful.
Works Cited
Danay, Richard Glazer (Kahnawake Mohawk (Caughnawaga), birth 1942) Red and Black Deer with Indians. 1988 Paint, glue and glitter on paper. New York, United States (lives and works in Southern California) H: 18 in, W: 24 in. Gift of Richard Glazer Danay, 2011, 2011.19.11
Hollens, Peter and The Swingle Singers. “Poor Wayfaring Stranger.” Hollens [HD]. One Voice Productions. 2012.
Lake-Thom, Robert. “Animal Signs and Omens: Deer.” Spirits of the Earth: A Guide to Native American Nature Symbols, Stories, and Ceremonies, by Robert Lake-Thom, Plume, 1997.
Hailey Fiel is a rising sophomore at the University of Michigan studying Biology and Arts and Design. She currently lives and studies out of her apartment in Ann Arbor, and spends her free time writing or enjoying movie nights with her partner, Alex.
