No Riders, No Names
Artist’s quote about the piece “In witnessing this working Mustang band in action, you the viewer are meant to feel you are the cause of their retreat. The stallion is intensely driving his mares, while the lead mare is in front establishing a direction of flight. The interaction between the members of the group is played out as they move away from the stallion. Even in panic, herd hierarchy is maintained to prevent potentially fatal chaos.”
The band of mustangs runs through a dry wash. A mature, battle scarred, herd stallion drives the group from the rear. His expression is fierce, but it is his body language that the mares recognize and respond to, not violence. As they begin to move away from him, they compact into a potentially explosive moment of disarray.
A young mare is caught in the middle, scrambling away from the stallion, her uncertainty is apparent. She still doesn’t know her place in the group and is keenly aware of her herd mate’s potential for biting or kicking if she bumps into them. Her ears swivel nervously as she backs into a mare with a young foal running up behind her. That mare already has her sights set, not on the young mare, but on an elderly mare that she feels is going to interfere with her foal’s path of flight through the protected interior of the group. The old mare sees the bite coming and throws her head in the air, instinctively tucking her tail and hopping forward to avoid the brunt of that attack.
A heavily pregnant mare races by on the outer edge of the group. Her tongue protrudes slightly between her lips with the effort of the strenuous activity. She will deliver her foal soon after they find a safe place to stop.
The lead mare and her foal race out ahead of the group, releasing the tension and providing a clear path of departure. Her young filly presses close to her haunch, instinctively mirroring and learning the actions of her dam. One day, she will most likely be a lead mare herself in the complicated hierarchy of the mustang herd.
- 1992
- 1/4 scale
- 28” H x 102” L x 30” W (71.12 cm H x 259.08 cm L x 76.2 cm W)
- This grouping consists of 5 mares, two foals, and a stallion on 5 interlocking bases.
- A 9-foot oak base provides support for the assembled pieces
- One of a kind
- Price available upon request
