To Hold Deer(ly)
To Hold Deer(ly)
White-tailed deer hide, white-tailed deer skull, dimensional lumber, yellow polypropylene rope, acorns, milkweed pods, single-channel video (4 min 27 sec)
Dimensions vary.
Statement
The phrase “to hold dearly” implies a deep emotional connection with something or someone that you cherish or hold a strong bond with. To Hold Deer(ly) is exploring the homophone relationship between the word “dear” and “deer,” but also seeks to communicate the reverence that is actively held for the deerskin in tension.
What appears on the dimensional lumber frame is the entire body of a female deer (a doe) in a way that allows one to see her entire life. One side shows the “grain,” the skin that held her hair and shielded her from cold and abrasions. Her life experiences are tracked in the dark, purplish tick scars dotting the neck and a thin scar that runs parallel along her spine. On the flip side, we are exposed to the “flesh” side. Traces of fat and connective tissue persist along the surface, as do large, ribbony scars from a butcher’s knife, showing the haste at which her skin was removed post-mortem. By expanding the doe’s skin, it can be read like a painting or story.
Nearly 40 hours went into the refinement of this material, and the accompanying video offers a glimpse into the intimate practice that is preparing an animal hide. Our contemporary world is largely out of touch with the practice of processing skin, which indigenous communities have engaged with for thousands of years prior to colonization. To Hold Deer(ly) celebrates the gift that this deer has given by holding her skin dearly.
