Member of the Tribe

The artist purposely asks that you participate in the interpretation of this event.  He only suggests, “What Tribe?  American Indian?  What river is it?  The Omak?  The Rubicon?  The Styx?  Was there an accident?  Intentional violence?  Was the rescue successful?  Who is this member of the tribe?  Les?  Annie?  You?  Me? Us?

Hayes transforms this scene, a small event of one administering care to another, into a momentous event.  At this scale, with the focus close in on the players of the scene, there is a sense of something heroic going on.  To transform the personal and seemingly incidental into something universal is part of what art can achieve.