What is most striking about Julie Buffalohead’s Indifferent, 2017 (acrylic, ink, graphite, collaged on Lokta paper, (29 7/16 x 58 ¾ inches), may not be the image’s animal subjects set in contrast to a deep blue background, but, rather, its title. Armed with the word ‘indifferent’, the viewer comes to the work with a keener viewpoint, an informed perspective.
One discovers Indifferent tucked away near the conclusion of the ‘Beings’ section in Yale University Art Gallery’s 2019-20 Places, Nations, Generations, Beings: 200 Years of Indigenous North American Art exhibition, unframed and protected by a glass case. Approaching the case, it becomes apparent that the reason for this special treatment is the piece’s intriguing substrate--a thick paper (Lokta, according to the description) attached inconspicuously to a support at the corners leaving it free to subtly dip and buckle across its length. Even through glass it appears to have an alluring velvety texture.
All of the figures and objects have been drawn and painted on a separate piece or pieces of Lokta paper then cut out and adhered to the background where, although they physically recede slightly into its somewhat plush texture making the collaging less obvious, they still appear subtly separated from the background. Similar to the traditional ‘Studio style’, there are no other cues regarding perspective, leaving the figures and objects without a defined context.
At first, the image depicted on this nearly five feet long background seems out of place in an exhibition of Indigenous art. Rather, it looks more like an illustration for a book of children’s fables and fairy tales with animals depicted in the manner of sophisticated animation drawings. We see a coyote clothed in a woman’s burgundy jumpsuit, seated in a white lawn chair while a racoon, a turtle, an ermine and two owls are playing in or standing near a tub filled with water. A plastic shovel in the water and a toy boat beside the tub reinforce the idea of playtime. Finally, a Snowy owl stands closer to and slightly inclined toward the lawn chair.
Beyond the seemingly familiar qualities of this tableau, however, the staging of the scene is important to note. The coyote, which is much larger than the other animals, dominates the left side of the picture plane. She is arranged in an anthropomorphized position as if she were a woman sitting in the lawn chair with her legs and feet dangling off the side, one ‘arm’ across her lap, the other propped against her ‘knee’, her head resting on one ‘hand’. At her feet and placed along the implied groundline the other, smaller animals appear much more energetic and engaged in their activities.
Studies have shown that the western viewer is most likely to start by looking at the left side of a horizontal plane then move toward the right. Buffalohead ensures that once the viewer’s gaze follows that path, it will be eventually brought back to the beginning where the coyote sits by positioning the white-coated ermine at the end of the row. It, like the snowy owl, is leaning toward the coyote. Both creatures’ white bodies echo the lawn chair’s frame, working in tandem to draw the viewer’s eye to the coyote.
It is difficult to avoid seeing this scene, at first, as possibly the portrait of a mother of young children who has come to the time in her day when she has lost her momentum and feels compelled to take a break no matter what her young ones are up to. Or, perhaps she’s a teenaged baby-sitter who is not taking her caregiving responsibilities seriously, choosing instead to sulk or daydream.
But it is the piece’s title, Indifferent, that alerts the viewer to search for more. The dictionary defines indifferent as “having no particular interest or sympathy; unconcerned.” This easily describes the coyote--her body language, her expressionless face, the way she is gazing off into the distance. All reflect her indifference. But why has Buffalohead created an homage to the attitude of indifference?
To attempt to understand the artist’s intent we must more carefully consider the both the coyote and the group of creatures to which she is seen as being indifferent. First and foremost, the presence of a coyote in this piece should put the viewer on alert. There is no question, due to the placement of this figure in the composition and the fact that she is portrayed as displaying the attitude for which the piece is named, that the coyote is the central focus. Coyote is undeniably the embodiment of the trickster for the many cultures of indigenous peoples of North America. Depending on the particular culture, the coyote runs the gamut from playing the joker to signifying danger. In any case, it is not an animal to be ignored and so it cannot be in this piece.
Once the viewer has recognized the significance of this focal figure and noted ter attitude, it is only natural to look once again at the other animals with a more discerning eye. The ermine which is farthest from the coyote stands straight up on its hind legs, its attention focused completely on the coyote. To its left, the raccoon’s paw is in the water, possibly playfully, but on this closer inspection it may be reaching for the turtle’s leg beneath the surface while the turtle itself appears to be about to scramble out of the tub. But is it a tub? No, on second look it’s actually a large roasting pan without its cover being used as a tub. Finally, the two barn owls seem to be watching for cues from the snowy owl which is casting a worried gaze back at the entire group.
Aside from the predatory behavior of the raccoon, the other animals seem to be on alert--as they should be--creating a dramatic tension within this scene that seemed to be a comfortable and amiable one--playtime--on first appraisal. And, it should be noted here that both creatures and objects are not necessarily what they appear to be--the ermine spends much of its time as a weasel, the turtle can disappear into its shell and the tub is actually a roaster--all emphasizing the fact that the viewer should not accept things as they seem.
Taking all of this into account opens the door to another perspective. Can it be that the artist is actually portraying the split-second before the coyote springs into action, where the trickster transforms from an attitude of feigned indifference to hunter-on-the-attack, ready to use the roasting pan for its intended purpose? If this is the case, then Buffalohead is telling a cautionary tale. We must be wary of indifference; we cannot accept it at face value.
She accomplishes this by juxtaposing the simple title to her image. It is the word ‘indifferent’ that compels the viewer to look more closely rather than dismiss the piece and move on. In portraying the perils of indifference Buffalohead shows herself to be an artist not only skillful at her visual craft but adept at creating synergy between the verbal and the non-verbal, between word and deed.
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