Deaf Artists in America: Colonial to Contemporary 1581210507, 9781581210507

Citation preview

•

ts

Deborah

M.

Sonnenstrahl

~

Digitized by

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

•

•

tn

ertca

COLONIAL to CONTEMPORARY ........... ~~"----.... DAWNSIGNPRESS

Digitized by

Google

Sa n

Diego

,

cal

if or n i a

Original from

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

....

F 1;-/ E

~

Deaf Artists in America: Colonial to Contemporary Copyright© 2002, Deborah M. Sonnenstrahl.

s-os- All rights reserved under International

C' /_ I

, .___,,(f} 1

'; .,.__.1

TI I

17,') ') v oersity,

. h l

f ten ca 11 e d t h e "Mic e an-

\Vashi11gto11. Districtof Columbia.

gelo of the American West," Douglas Tilden was the first native Californian sculptor to win recognition outside the United States. Tilden was born on May 1, 1860 (the same day that the new California School for the Deaf opened its doors), in Chico, California, to Dr. William Per egrine Tilden, a physician, and Catherine Hecox Tilden. Douglas Tilden was the second of five children . He lost his hearing at the age of four from an attack of scarlet fever and never regained his ability to h ear or speak. He cam e from an educated, cultured, loving family . Tilden was headstrong and practically ruled the house. He insisted that his parents, brothers, and sister learn sign language after he enrolled at th e California School for the Deaf at the age of five years and nine months . In school, Tilden demonstrated his temper, often punching oth er stud ents or knocking their hats off their heads . Tilden struggled with his temper all his life, and later in his career it often cost him com1nissions and th e support of both deaf and hearing people . Following graduation from CSD, Tild en accepted a teaching position at the school , wh ere he taught for eight years . Tilden's interest in sculpture began in 1883 at th e age of 23 after he saw his brother molding clay. Tilden studi ed und er th e sculptor Marion Wells for a month, and then he mov ed to a laundry shed on the corner of a baseball field at the school where he could experim ent sculpting with large forms. He D O U GL

AS

Digitized by

TI

m

LDEN

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

completed his first work, The Tired Wrestler (destroyed in the San Francisco Earthquake), in 1885, which earned him support for further study . The school's board of directors recognized his exceptional talent and sent him to study in New York and Paris. In Paris Tilden met Paul Choppin (1856-1937), a deaf French sculptor who had won a medal at the Paris Salon and kindly offered Tilden guidance. Choppin checked on Tilden weekly . Choppin's statues grace the streets of Paris as Tilden's sculptural work would eventually grace the streets of San Francisco. For seven years, Tilden perfected his techniques, studying works in the museums, galleries, and salons of Paris and studying the history of sculpture and the methods of the masters. Tilden submitted his plaster The Baseball Player to the Paris Salon des Artistes Fran~ais on the Champs Elysees in 1890. During the six years that Tilden worked in Paris, the Salon accepted five of his monuments, which were praised for their unorthodox subject matter reflecting a "truly American spirit." This success lead to sought-after commissions for civic monuments. During these years Tilden became involved with the deaf commu nity in Paris. He was elected vice president of the First International Congress for the Deaf in Paris in 1889 and advocated the use of signs and speech together in the education of deaf students, during a period when many hearing leaders rejected sign language. Tilden's exceptional writing skills are evident in the numerous articles in California magazines and other publications he wrote on the subject of deafness. Tilden never waivered from his interest in the welfare of deaf people . Tilden's The Baseball Player was brought from Paris to San Francisco in 1890, where it was shown at the Art Loan Exhibition along with works of such painting masters as Dutch Baroque Rembrandt van Rijn (1606- 1669), French Impressionist Claude Monet (1840-1926), and French Romantic Ferdinand Delacroix (1798-1863). Tilden's sculpture, the only work by an American, became the chief attraction and was eventually purchased by W. E. Brown of the Southern Pacific Railroad Company and presented to the Art Commission for Golden Gate State Park. Mr . Brown was a great patron of Tilden in subsequent years and Tilden showed his gratitude by giving him The Young Acrobat , a marble and bronze statuette exhibited at the 1891 Salon. His The Bear Hunt was also shown at the Paris Salon and received positive reviews both abroad and at home in California. The influence on the United States of Europe 's renewed interest in Renaissance art and its classical overtones reached its peak in 1893 at the World 's Colombian Exposition in Chicago . Tilden was invited to serve on the sculpture jury and four of his works were shown at this ,f.,

.:._

: II

. :J

D eaf

A rti

Digitized by

s t s i11

Am e r ic a : C ol o 11i a l to

Google

C ontemporar

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

y

exposition . The artistic impulse of the American Renaissance was in full swing when Tilden returned to San Francisco in 1894 when his funds ran out . Soon after his return, Tilden was appointed to teach the first modeling class at the California School of Design, Mark Hopkins Institute of Art lnow the San Francisco Art Institute), which was then an affiliated college of the University of California, Berkeley. When asked how he could teach a class of hearing students given that he could not speak, Tilden curtly replied, "I do not plan to talk to them. I plan to make them work!" He always carried a pad, paper, and pencil with him. In addition, Tilden became the first teacher in California to introduce nude modeling in the university classroom-a commonplace practice in European art schools. He developed his own methods for nonverbal communication and through these techniques he succeeded in creating an enormous influence on future Bay Area artists who called him "the father of sculpture on the Pacific Coast" (Albronda, 1995). In May 1892 Tilden published an article in the Overland Monthly entitled "Art and What San Francisco Should Do About Her," in which he advanced building a publicly supported art museum in Golden Gate Park-what was later to become the de Young Museum. San Francisco's mayor James Duval Phelan, who had long held the belief that "the great conquering power of the world is art," appointed Tilden to city beautification committees and commissioned him to memorialize California's heroes and history in monumental bronze statues . Both Phelan and Tilden were hailed as "Renaissance men" for their dreams of creating another Athens on the West Coast, with monumental bronzes symbolizing noble deeds drawn from history and mythology and placed in urban areas to encourage lofty ideals (Albronda, 1980). Phelan's first commission for Tilden was Admission Day 11879),which shows an angel holding open an empty book. Tilden's message was that the history of California was still to be written. The statue received exemplary reviews from critics . The work is now located at the intersection Market, Post, and Montgomery Streets in San Francisco. Tilden continued to be involved with the educational and political issues relating to deaf people in California as he had been in France. He helped to organize the California Association of the Deaf and drafted its constitution and bylaws . In 1909 he was elected its president. In the meantime, in 1896 he married Elizabeth Delano Cole, who was known for her beauty . The marriage was rocky and they divorced in 1926. Tilden continued to produce many medal-winning sculptures. In 1903 he was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in London. He continued on the San Francisco Art Commission and served on DOUGLAS

Digitized by

TILDE

N

Google

Original from

■

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

several jury committees. However, this was not to last and Tilden found himself in dire need of funds. By this time, Tilden felt that he should not be required to submit entries in competition with others but rather should be accepted on the merits of his reputation. This attitude resulted in a breach between Tilden and Phelan, who had been his greatest patron during Tilden's days of affluence and popularity. The conflict between them worsened and proved to be Tilden's downfall as his commissions dwindled. Very few people had the money to buy sculptural works, which were considerably more expensive than two-dimensional painting works. Tilden tried to regain employment at his alma mater, the California School for the Deaf, but was not successful. Deaf teachers were not being hired due to the effect of the 1880 resolution enforced by the second International Congress on Deaf in Milan, Italy. Sign language had been banned from schools for deaf students and education became more "oral" using speech and speechreading. After a short period assisting with a modeling class as a visiting professor of sculpture at St. Mary's College in Oakland, Tilden worked as a machinist for two years (1919-1921) before being laid off. He then moved to Hollywood in 1924 for just one year, where he sculpted extinct animals for educational films. He returned to Berkeley in 1925, leading a "life of a recluse, being rather embittered against the whole world" (Albronda, 1995). Tilden was tormented by his divorce, estrangement from his patrons and friends, and the failure of his dreams for an artistic and educational utopia on the West Coast. He was found dead of heart failure in his studio on August 6, 1935. A good sculptural piece regardless of style or size is favorable from any viewing position, as are Tilden's works. Sculpture by definition is an art, whose ideas are portrayed by means of mass, form, proportion, and surrounding space. Tilden's free-standing sculpture is an interactive medium as some parts can be seen from one position and other parts concealed. The spectator is forced to walk around a Tilden work to see all of its parts. Tilden worked in the figurative style, which was a perfect vehicle for the revival of Renaissance art in America. It was fortuitous that Tilden lived during the "Golden Age" of the American Renaissance, when all art including painting, sculpture, and architecture was united under the influence of the Italian Renaissance of the 15th and 16th centuries. America's Golden Age spanned the centennial celebration of 1876 to the outbreak of World War I when sculptural works of human figures were done in Classical style and adorned civic and private buildings and public monuments. Tilden held the human

m

Deaf

Artists

Digitized by

in

America:

Google

Colonial

lo

Contemporary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

figure in high reverence and it was the essence of his sculptural works. This era in America echoes the Italy of Michelangelo's (1475- 1564) time. Tilden's works can be found in public areas in San Francisco just as Michelangelo's works of human figures can be found in numerous public sites in Italy. However this is not to indicate that Tilden followed the classical style or the Beaux-Arts tradition by rote. His works of athletes and heroes have a truly American flavor. His figures do not assume classical and lackluster static poses but rather are full of vitality and energy, very much akin to Michelangelo's sculptures, which qualifies Tilden for the label "Michelangelo of the West." A CLOSER

LOOK

Tilden first appeared on the CSD school campus wearing a brightly colored red scarf, which gave him the name sign of touching one's lips and ending on the upper chest with one's middle finger. Pointing to one's lips indicates the color red in sign language . Moving the finger to the chest symbolizes the scarf. It was customary for deaf children to develop name signs to identify each person with his or her particular taste or characteristic, particularly in schools for deaf children. Samuel Supalla explains in The Book of Name Signs (1992) that "name signs" describe who people were or where they came from and denote relationships with families, groups, and communities of deaf and the hearing people they live with. Deaf children often invent descriptive name signs for each other such as in Tilden 's case, but they were expected to replace them when they became older for more acceptable name signs. Tilden's original name sign remained intact and unchanged during his lifetime. WORKS BASEBALL PIAYER

This work verifies that Tilden had not abandoned his American roots, despite his love of Paris. Baseball is a thoroughly American subject. This work has stood in Golden Gate Park since 1891. It is one of the oldest stationary baseball artifacts in the world. It is an excellent example of sculpture-in-the-round as the spectator's eye travels around the work with the pitcher's left arm. Upon reaching the baseball the movement continues along the right arm and connects the spectator's eye back to the left arm. The athlete's face is somewhat smaller in proportion as it is representational of actual perspective. His eyes are focused on the target before he throws that deciding ball. Tilden, much like Michelangelo, used the contrapposto revived by early Italian Renaissance painter Masaccio 11401-1428). In this work the right arm as well as the left leg is functional whereas the left arm and right leg carry less weight, forming an imaginary diagonal axis. The Baseball Player was accepted at the 1890 Paris Salon des Artistes Frarn;ais, motivating Tilden to begin The Tired Boxer.

DOUGLAS

Digitized by

TILDEN

Go ogle

Original from

•

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

BASEBALL PLAYER 1888- 189 1.

Bronze monument. Dedicated]11/y3, z891. GoldenGatePark, San Francisco , California.

THE TIREDBOXER 1892. Bronze, 29 l /4

X 2 inches

FineArts Museumsof San Francisco, Giftof A lice\lincilioneand

Ma,y L. Tiscomia, 199 1.ss

THE TIREDBOXER

This work received honorabl e mention at the Paris Salon-a milestone for any artist . No American sculptor had won higher recognition. Despite Tilden's six-year stay in Paris and traditional European stylistic influ ence s, his sculptures are American in style, subject matter , and direction of expre ssion. Th e statue shows a well-muscl ed boxer on the edge of his seat, att emptin g to catch his breath after an exh austing fight . Th e vein s bulg e from his unglov ed left hand and lik e much of Tild en 's work thi s is anoth er exampl e of a figure assumin g th e contr apposto position .

•

Deaf

Artists

Digitized by

in

America

Google

: Colonial

lo

Con tempor

ar y

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

THE BEAR HUNT

1892. Bronzemonument. Courtesyof Colifomia School for the De.o f Fremont. THEBEARHUNT

A group showing five figures, two Native Americans and three bears is depicted. Tilden recalled in 1891 that while he was in school, his attention was drawn to a "wonderful plastic creation by leading German sculptor, Max Klein, representing the captive Germanicus in the act of going into the arena entirely naked and, with arms as powerful as bands of steel, throttling the lion to death . Both the man and the brute were on the floor; they were so interwoven that the lion apparently was powerless to use its claws ... .I had this mental picture for a long time . The interesting problem would be to use the same scheme with an Indian and a bear ... which would reflect an intensely American spirit." Tilden continues : "I have been working more than a month ... .such as the case ... my Indian and bear present a full front, both in so full a vigor that Who wins; must forever be a question in the spectator's mind" (Albronda, 1995). Tilden exhibited this work in bronze at the Paris Salon and at the World's Columbia Exposition in 1893. MECHANICS

This is Tilden's best known work and it is dedicat ed to mechanics, particularly printing pressmen. James Donahue commissioned the work in memory of his father, the industrialist Peter Donahue . It contains five seminude men; two are holding the sheet of metal to be punch ed, whil e three others work the arm of the lever press with apparently limitless energy. D espit e the favorable response to the work by the public , severa l city administrators criticized it. Many felt the figures were too idealiz ed, too un -America n, since th ey were practically nak ed and th ey proposed modifyin g the work. Th e debate was printed in th e newspapers. Finally

DOUGLA

S

Digitized by

TI

LDEN

Google

Original from

□

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

MECHANICS 190 1. Bro11u

monument . DedicatedMay 15, 190 1,

Market, Bush,

and BatteryStmls, San Francisco.

local artists came to Tilden's rescue and drew up a petition to leave the work untouch ed. Mildred Albronda eloquently states in her 1980 book , Douglas Tilden: "Th e graceful movements and gestur es of th e Mechani cs create an art form in space, a continuou s flowing rhythm of energy, in the hub of th e city . The interplay of solid mass and space, the articulation of plan es and curves , the sense of movement, create a unity of concept that belongs to the present day. And yet , the sublime expressions of th e faces plun ge ones imag ery back n tim e to th e figures of Gothic cathedrals . The group stands now in a cath edral-lik e space with stone pillars of skyscrap ers reachin g skyward , and colored glass windows reflecting all manners of thing s."

D eaf

Arti

Digitized by

s t s i n A mer ic a : C olonial

Google

to

Contem

porar

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

y

ALBERTVICTORBALLIN 1861-1932

An Advocateand Entrepreneur PORTRAJTOF ALBERT V ICTORBALLI

11 .d. Photograph , Gallaudet

bert Victor Ballin has the distinction University, Washington,DC of being the first known deaf artist of deaf father, David Ballin. David Ballin was a popular lithographer who operated an engraving business in New York and his son could often be found helping at the family business. Albert Ballin was born on March 12, 1861, in New York. He was deafened at the age of three and attended the institution that is now the New York School for the Deaf. He proved to be a bright and enthusiastic student at the school for several years. When the young Ballin recognized his talent in art he felt it fruitless to remain in school and left to study under Harry Humphrey Moore, a deaf artist who was then quickly gaining an international reputation for his portrait and landscape paintings. Ballin felt at ease in his class as his teacher could communicate with him in sign language. Moore noticed Ballin's natural gift and advised a course of foreign study that included visiting Paris and spending three years in Rome . When Ballin arrived in Rome he became a member of the Circolo Artistico Internazionale, a "club composed of about 400 painters, sculptors, singers, musicians, authors and members of the Nobility." Ballin felt at home since in his words, "Italy is par excellence, THE LAND OF GESTURES! " (Ballin, 1930, p. 47). Moore's advice proved to be profitable and productive as several of Ballin's paintings were exhibited at the Paris Salon. In Rome Ballin studied under Spanish painter

Al

ALBER

T

VICTOR

Digitized by

m

BALLIN

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

Jose Villegas y Cordero (1848-1922), whose influence can be noticed in his work. In 1882 Ballin was awarded a silver medal in Rome for a Venetian scene and the following year received honorable mention for a painting of Arab life exhibited in Munich. Upon his return to America, Ballin produced many portraits, landscapes, and genre works. Among his output was his oil portrait of the Reverend Thomas Gallaudet, who had established the first form school for deaf children in the United States, the American School for the Deaf in Hartford. This painting earned Ballin a positive review in the New York Tribune and was exhibited in a leading New York art gallery before being sent to the Gallaudet Archives at the American School for the Deaf (Jenkins, 1904). Ballin also created portraits of other individuals who had contributed to the education of deaf people, including Isaac Lewis Peet of the New York Institution, which was commissioned by the Peet family. Despite his productive output of portraits and landscape, Ballin's work did not secure the same success in the United States that it had enjoyed in Europe. Endowed with a keen and sharp mind, Ballin found himself drawn into activities of a very different nature from art. He became involved in supporting the political campaign of President Cleveland, and with financial backing Ballin launched a campaign for Cleveland within the deaf community. He also served as an American representative to the 1889 World Congress of the Deaf in Paris. Upon returning from the World Congress, Ballin lectured on his "Personal Impressions of Paris" (Jenkins, 1904). He settled in Pearl River, New York, where he had a studio attached to his house. He could not forsake his love of art. He found success again with miniature painting on ivory, work frequently praised for its delicate qualities. His best work, in whatever medium, has always excelled in delicacy of finish rather than in bold and striking effect. His miniatures for the deaf community included works for Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet and James Dennison of Washington. Paintings by Ballin done in oil were published in the periodicals of the deaf community . In the 1920s, Ballin became interested in the roles deaf people and sign language played in silent films. In 1924 he went to Los Angeles to try his luck writing scripts, acting in films, and making moves. Ballin used his artistic skill when the market became too competitive or when lack of demand for his cinematic work developed due to the war. Ballin made friends with many silent film stars, including Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, George O'Brien, and Neil Hamilton.

t•j

D e af

A rI i sI s

Digitized by

i n

A m eri ca :

Go ogle

Colonial

to

Contemporary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

Ballin taught Hamilton sign language. Still a sign language advocate, Ballin proposed the use of sign language as a solution to communicating across heights and distances on platforms and on noisy sets. Ballin wrote in "The Life of a Lousy Extra," published in The Silent Worker, of his frustrating experiences in attempting to secure respectful roles in movies (Jenkins, 1904). While painting a portrait of Thomasina Mix, three-year-old daughter of cowboy actor Tom Mix, in the middle of the William Fox studio Ballin attracted attention to his art. Among those who later commissioned him for portraits were the great director John Ford and actors and actresses such as Alice Calhoun, Jacqueline Logan, and Cullen Landis. Ballin's portraits reveal the artist's preference for delineating the expression and character of his sitters rather than simply showing their features. Many Ballin portraits are more faithful in showing the "expression and the soul of the subject" rather than an exact reproduction of the physical outlines of form and feature. When Ballin's services as a portrait painter, miniaturist, lithographer, and even actor in silent films were no longer in demand due to the Great Depression of 1929 he turned to another artistic outlet, writing. His most well known book, The Deaf Mute Howls vividly narrates his frustrations as a deaf individual, however with both anger and humor. The underlying goal of this work was to resolve the alienation between deaf and hearing people. Ballin felt that if all people regardless of hearing status would learn sign language it would bridge the gap between deaf and the "great hearing world." Ballin called the suggestion "Remedy." The work demonstrates Ballin's "gifted pen" as he wrote in an exceptionally creative-artistic style. The book was published in 1930, two years before his death. Ballin never realized his Remedy dream. A CLOSER

LOOK

Despite Ballin's advocation against the "oral system" advocated by Alexander Graham Bell, wherein Bell believed that deaf children should be taught to speak orally rather than learn sign language, both Bell and Ballin enjoyed each other's company and remained friends . Bell and Ballin present an interesting comparison. Bell had a deaf wife who spoke and read lips fluently and did not know how to sign whereas Ballin had a hearing wife who could sign fluently since her parents were deaf. However, they had one thing in common as they both wanted to eliminate the "residential schools for the deaf" as described in Ballin's The Deaf Mute Howls 11930).

ALBERT

VICTOR

Digitized by

BALI.IN

Go ogle

Original from

■

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

WORKS ISAAC LEWJSPEET

Unlike the Gallaudet portrait by Ballin, Dr. Peet does not look directly at the spectator, but looks away to his right . Again, this gesture reinforces Ballin's tendency to emphasize the emotion or underlying feeling of his sitters. Dr. Peet is shown holding a sheepskin, probably an acclamation of his retirement and honor as a principal emeritus of the New York Institution . One can see that he knew he was leaving behind him the place he loved and that had been so much a part of his life. There is a glimmer of sadness in his eyes. With his left hand behind his back one feels there is no communication between the spectator and the sitter. There are no other objects to distract the viewer from the expressive face1 and the dark background enhances the overall somber impression of the work . REVERENDTHOMAS GALLAUDET

This work of the educator of deaf children exemplifies Ballin's tendency to focus on innate characteristics rather than the factual statement of his sitter's anatomy , with the exception of the head and hands. The face and hands are meticulously rendered as to Ballin they are most important features of the body as the tools of communication. Reverend Gallaudet ISAAC LEWIS PEET signed fluently . The face reveals a kindly man whose 1890. Oil OIi [(//1 1'(15, eyes are fixed directly on the spectator . There is no barrier perceiv ed between the sitter and the viewer . 4 4 x 29 '.I,inches . Ballin has learned his perspective lessons well as one Nriv YorkSchoolfor the Deaf can sense th e pyramidal weight composed of the head WhitePlai11s . downward to the hands and with the mass of the body forming the base of the pyramid. Reverend Gallaud et, in a full figure, sits in his study surrounded by objects of his vocation, including the Bible on th e tabl e and other books. The intricat e and active design of th e rug at his feet adds to the impression of vigor of th e man who establish ed education for deaf children in America.

D e af

A rt i s t s i 11 A m e ri c a : Co l o nial

Digitized by

Google

t o C ontempora Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

ry

REVERE D THOMAS GALLAUDET

Oilon canvas, 1/,x 40 ';. inches .

1891. 61

GallaudetUniversity , Washington, DC

ALBERT

VICT

Digitized by

OR

B ALLIN

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

HENRYLAPP 1862-1904 SIGNATUREFROMA COW

1879. Watercolor and ink, 6 x 3 1/,inches ,

BobHamilton , Lancaster,Pennsylvani a.

Inventive

AmishFolkArl

L

app and his works are often found in books on Folk art. Folk art has been referred to as "crude"I "unschooled" "native I "or even . I "primitive," At the turn of the 20th century Folk art was perceived as inferior, not measuring up to Europe's long- standing history of art. These "nai:ve" works produced by early American artists were no match for the "sophisticated" works of European artists. However, in the 1920s Folk art was rediscovered with an enthusiasm and commitment that remains today. Folk art was purchased by museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art, both of New York. Much of the art was unsigned, which might account for the long obscurity of these artists. The artists looked for ideas and inspiration in unexpected places. Their art did not glorify dead heroes, prominent people, historical events, or methodical subjects as European or rather Western art did. Subject matter in Folk art was closer to home-humble, modest, and unassuming. Despite uncertainty about the definition of Folk art, experts increasingly agree that it is art showing what "the common people of a society or region considered as the representatives of a traditional way of life and especially as the originators or carries of the customs, beliefs, and arts that make a distinctive culture" (Steveson, 1996, p.27). H enry Lapp reflec ted th e German-American Amish culture in hi s Folk art.

■ Deaf

Artis

Digitized by

t s in

America

Google

: C olonial

to

Co ntemporary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

One of several children, Henry L. Lapp was born deaf in an Amish family on August 18, 1862, at Groff's Store lnow Mascot) in Leacock Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Little is known about his childhood. From 1872 to 1879, Henry Lapp and his older deaf sister Elizabeth created an amazing collection of watercolor paintings. Both Henry and his sister spent many hours during their childhood painting whimsical renditions of the world around them, including images of farm life and fables, fraktur la German style of black text type) paintings, and labels on containers, gardens, and flower beds. The brother and sister enjoyed painting as evidenced by the variety of their subjects and the delightful colors they used. The Lapp paintings demonstrate a profound love of life and a time of freedom and discovery. The Lapps may have escaped the restrictions placed on Amish art since their deafness provided a buffer between them and the strict laws of their community. This, combined with the sympathy of the people in the community, may have given them their "artistic license." As an adult Henry Lapp became a carpenter, working in the Groff's Store area. H painting gave Lapp a source of pleasure and fulfillment, his furniture provided him a steady source of income. He was an inventive furniture designer and maker whose designs are still copied today. Using saws and lathes run by a windmill, Lapp made many pieces of furniture characteristic of the Amish communitydower chests, drop leaf tables, wall cupboards, bureaus, wash benches, cradles, desks, flour chests, rocking chairs, wagons, toys, and sleighs. His designs were extraordinary-different from the typical tulip bulbs, unicorns, and hex symbols typical of contemporary Amish art. Instead, Lapp used more subtle and restrained designs done in broad flat areas of color that were more in tune with the furniture of the Welsh country settlers who located in Pennsylvania east of Lancaster than of the Pennsylvania German style. Lapp probably saw these designs in country stores and shops near Philadelphia. Lapp's desks and washstands are of forms not generally found in Pennsylvania German houses, but are designed along the lines of furniture found in larger urban houses. He adapted the favored carrot-shaped foot and roundball foot for his cabinets. Henry Lapp either painted or varnished most of his furniture. According to oral family history, Lapp carried a catalogue of his furniture with him to show potential customers what he was capable of producing. This was a most effective way of communicating with his customers. In 1956 his furniture catalogue IA Craftsman's

HENRY

LAPP

Digitized by

Go ogle

Original from

■

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

Handbook, 1991) was discovered in a bureau sold to an antique collector by a descendant of the Lapp family. In 1980, fifty-two of Lapp's existing paintings and some examples of his furniture were exhibited at the special Henry Lapp Gallery at The People's Place in Intercourse, Pennsylvania. Lapp's work has earned a special place in the Folk art history of Lancaster County. The Old Road Furniture Company in Intercourse, Pennsylvania, still sells reproductions of his patterns and designs with his name used in association with almost every piece of furniture on sale. A CLOSER

LOOK

Since Amish people did not permit themselves to be photographed there is no known photograph of Hemy Lapp. Fortunately , his personal notebook, A Craftsman's Handbook, with his watercolor drawings of furniture and other related items has been preserved and can be seen at The Philadelphia Museum of Art (Lapp, 1991). Anoth er personal journal also has been saved with sketches and short questions he asked including the question, "When does the next train leave for Philadelphia? " (Stolttzfus, 1993). WORKS BARN

This painting of a barn was done when Lapp was only eleven or twelve years old and it is one of the earliest known Lapp pieces. It demonstrates the skill that Lapp acquired at a young age. The long side of the barn is lighter than the short side, by which Lapp attempted to show depth and the direction of the sunlight, adding charm and solidity to the work. Yet, the sky is flat with a minimum of color to avoid distraction from the barn, which remains the focal point of the painting.

BARN

78 70. \Xlale rcoloron papc1;6 '.~~-3 ;~, inches.

BobHamilton, Lancasle1; I'cn,1.')·f1m1ia.

D eaf

Ar ti s ts

Digitized by

in

America

Google

: Co lo11ial

lo

Co ntem

p o rar y

Original from

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

DESK AND TABLE

The desk in the drawing shows the influence urban styles favored by city people of that period. The ornamental shield around the keyhole (escutcheon) and its cover stand out brightly against the basic barn red lid and drawer fronts. This desk is unusual in that there are only three drawers, whereas in other Lapp drawings, desks and chests have four or five drawers . Lapp also added something new to the table-the casters on the carrotshaped feet . STRAWBERRJES

The strawberries are beautifully rendered, revealing Lapp's familiarity with his subject . His sensitivity to the shape, character, color and placement of the fruit is unmistakable. The background again is void of any distracting color or other objects.

DESK AND TABLE

A Craftsman's Handbook , Plate 6. n.d., Watercolorand ink, 4 1/,x 8 inches. The PhiladelphiaMuseumof A rt, Pennsylvania.

STRAWBERR IES

n.d. Watercolor;pencil, and vamish onpaper, 8 x 6 '.I,inches. Estate of Mary R. Gilbert, He,, tage Center of Lancaster Cou11 ty Collection, Pennsy l1a11 ia. 1

HENRY

L APP

Digitized by

Google

Original from

■

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

BLANKGEBURTSAND TAUFSCHEIN (BIRTH AND BAPTISMALRECORD) 1872.

Ink and waterco lor on lined paper; 11 Y.x 9 inches . Anonymous donor, Heritage CentuMuseum of Lancaster CountyColledion, Pennsyl11a11 ia. BLANKGEBURTSAND TAUFSCHEIN (BIRTHAND BAPTISMALRECORD)

This certificate is signed and dated on the back "Henry Lapp 1872." Although the Amish did not frame and display their family records, preferring to fold them into Bibles or glue them into dower chests, they did frame samplers, prints, hand-colored printed records, and paintings. Lapp's frames and fanciful pictures would have been popular at the end of the 19th century when prints, calendars, and silhouettes were available to rural and urban customers . WHTlMAN'S FOUNTAJNPUMP

-,.;-\\" ~ ,\ '\, •.

ro,., .,:"'

Even though Lapp copied this charming picture from an advertisement, the work demonstrates Lapp's welldeveloped figures which are not usually found in contemporary Amish art . Figures in Amish art tend to be flat with rigid outlines. This work retains the Lapp characteristic of a flat, featureless sky.

1 r-.-: ' ·:-;, , : , ~::.. .~

~ .... ·:>

·.

~

IIFJ

D

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

-

:

atmospheric conditions-morning mist, marine fog, afternoon haze, the breezy clarity of a summer sky. Redmond illuminated his work with a theatrical flair for lighting. He could memorize and observe moonlit seascapes, sunset beaches, and brilliant fields of wildflowers. However, he differed from Impressionist painters in that he did not finish his work completely out-of-doors, but in his studio with the help of small sketches done on location .

EVENING GLOW

1909. Oil on can1,1as, 24 x 28 inches . TheFieldstone Colledion, Nruporl Beach, California .

MOONUGHT SEASCAPE (CATALINAISLAND)

This painting shows Redmond's freer more modern period . Recalling Whistler's nocturne paintings Redmond demonstrated his ability in painting the sea bathed in the MOONLIGHT SEASCAPE (CATALI NA ISLAND)

1920. Oil011 canvas, 20 ~30 inches. Cou,foy of Cal,fomin Schooffor the Denj.Fremont.

• Deaf

Artists

Digitized by

in

America

Google

: Co lonial

to

Co nte m p orary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

moonlight. There is a difference in brush work in the sea and the sky . The directions of horizontal brush work of the sea run counterpart to the vertical brushwork of the sky. Yet, the two spheres are tied together by similar colors, short brush strokes and finally the silvery light. The short vibrating slashes of reds and blues run throughout the two spheres . Despite the waves , the painting conveys the peace and solace of a gentle sea . Critics described Redmond's style as reminiscent of pointillists such as George Seurat (1859-1891), a French Post-Impressionist. However, there is a crucial difference between French Impressionist painters and Redmond. Redmond did not use bright colors of the Impressionist mode in all of his paintings. He alternated these bright moods with the quiet introspection of the painted "tone poems" such as this painting , conveying silence and solitude in a contemplative mood. FIELD OF POPPIES (CALlFORNIA POPPYFIELD)

This painting reveals Redmond 's love for the more intimate rural views of California's topography, whether the softly rolling hills, a grove of oaks, a field of yellow poppies, or a landscape with a glimpse of the sea beyond. These images of California were disappearing quickly due to increased urbanization . The vast field of poppies directs the spectator's eye to the gentle rolling hills, which appear to reach out to the curved, fluffy, floating clouds . Redmond may be seen as a transitional figure among California landscape painters of the early 20th century . His quiet scenes of the coastal countryside formed a stylistic connection between the dominant Tonalist painters in northern California and an emerging group of "plein air artists" in Southern California.

GRAN

V I L L E

Digitized by

REDM

FIELDOF POPPIES (CALIFOR IA POPPYFIELD)

11 .d. Oilon canvas, 38 x 56 inches .

Courtesy of CaliforniaSchoolfor theDeaf Frrmo11/ .

O N D

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

EUGENEELMERHANNAN 1875-1945

LeadersImmortalized in Bronze PORTRAITOF EUGENE ELMERHANNAN

n the turn of the 20th century the sculptor n.d. Photograph . Galfaudet faced more serious difficulties than did the Unhmity , Washington. DC painter. Two-dimensional artists could use color recklessly or chose almost any subject of their liking and even deny the pictorial space to emphasize the formal freedom of the creation. This was not the case for a sculptor in America. The sculptor was bound to space and, by tradition, was limited in subject matter to living figures, human or animal. If the sculptor executed the figure simply as an imitation of a natural model, the lack of creativity or imagination resulted in a weak comparison to the thing itself-a lifeless effigy. It was up to the sculptor to find a way to transform his model in such a way that his art came alive. Eugene E. Hannan solved the dilemma by sculpting current leaders in contemporary attire instead of presenting Greek characters as sculptors had done before Hannan's day. Hannan became the most important deaf American sculptor after Douglas Tilden. Eugene Elmer Hannan was born on July 26, 1875, in Washington, DC. He became deaf at two and a half from scarlet fever. At the age of seven, his parents placed him in the Kendall School for the Deaf, where he remained for six years before transferring to St. Mary's School for the Deaf in Buffalo, New York, and finally to St. John's Institute near Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was at St. John's that Hannan began to show his natural gifts in art and woodcarving. He attended Gallaudet College

I

ml

Draf

Arti

Digitized by

s ts

;,,

Amt ' rica:

Google

Colonial

to

Contemporary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

for one year and left the college to learn his father's business. It was discovered quickly that Hannan had no aptitude for the business world . He enrolled at the Corcoran School for Art in Washington, DC for three years, taking courses in anatomy, charcoal drawing, and other art fundamentals. It was at the Corcoran that he learned the basics of technique and design. He entered the Art Institute of Chicago as a pupil of Lorado Taft (1860-1936) and Charles James Mulligan. From Chicago he moved to New York City and took the usual path of becoming a member of the Art Students' League, studying under Herman McNeil and Gutzon Borglum (1867-1941). Still feeling inadequate in his education he spent a year studying in France, Italy, and Spain. While in Europe, Hannan made friends with the well-known deaf French sculptor Paul Choppin (1856-1937), the deaf Spanish brothers and painters Valentin (1879-1963) and Ramon (1882-1969) de Zubiaurre, and the hearing American sculptor Jo Davidson (1883-1952). One of the de Zubiaurre brothers painted Harman's portrait . When he returned home he was given a position as modeler with the United States National Museum in Washington, DC. During this period he sculpted the bust of the Reverend Thomas Gallaudet, son of the founder of the first formal school for deaf pupils in Hartford, Connecticut. In 1880 Hannan assisted Gutzon Borglum in sculpting the bronze equestrian statue of Civil War General Philip H. Sheridan located at Sheridan Circle in Washington. It seems paradoxical that it has never been mentioned that Hannan's figurative sculptural style connects him with the 16th century Italian Renaissance, making Hannan an authentic American Renaissance sculptor. His work provides faithful representations of figures in appropriate measurements, very much like the Italian Renaissance sculptures of Greco/Roman and Renaissance historical and prominent leaders. Hannan does not embellish his sitters, but instead consistently reveals their accurate proportions and features. What prevents his figures from being monotonous and even dull is the innate personality that Hannan instills in each of his bust sculptures. In addition, Hannan refused to portray his sitters in Greek costumes, but rather chose contemporary American clothing, making his work more relevant to his times. Hannan worked mostly in sculpture-in-the-round, whereby a spectator could walk completely around the work to see it in its entirety, and bas-relief. In 1917 Hannan presented Clifford D. Perkins, manager of the Hotel Heublein in Washington, DC, a hand-carved medallion withThomas Hopkins Gallaudet's profile. He also sculpted a bronze EUGENE

ELMER

Digitized by

H ANN

Google

A N

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

memorial tablet of Sophia Fowler Gallaudet, an important figure in deaf culture, which was unveiled in Guilford, Connecticut. The deaf American community paid Hannan a great honor by selecting his design in a competition among deaf and hearing sculptors from the United States and Europe for a statue of the compassionate Abbe de l'Epee, the founder of the first public school in France for deaf children in 1760. Among Hannan's best-known sculptures in the Connecticut area are the bust of the late E.T. Bedford in the Bedford Elementary School, two large mural panels in plaster in the Staples High School showing the retreat of the British at Cedar Point and the Battle of Compo Hill, and sixteen bronze medallions on various walls of the building with bas-relief portraits of the Founders of Connecticut. Edward Miner Gallaudet, who had refused to sit for other sculptors, sat for Hannan not once but five times. Gallaudet College's class of 1926 commissioned the work, wherein Hannan portrayed Gallaudet in his later years with a mustache and goatee. The sculpture is currently displayed at Gallaudet University. In 1934 Hannan exhibited a plaster bust of F.P. Gibson, president of the National Fraternal Society of the Deaf. He exhibited a copper medallion of Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet at the International Exhibi tion of Fine and Applied Arts by deaf artists at the Roerich Museum in New York City the same year. He joined artists from all over the world in this highly praised show. He died on February 7, 1945. WORKS

REVEREND THOMAS HOPKINS GAlLAUDET

Reverend Gallaudet's face is that of a man who had endured hardships in establishing a structured education system for deaf children, yet there appears to be an aura of peace and satisfaction knowing that he had achieved his goals. Th e bust has a smooth surface that is akin to Greek/Renaissanc e style . An air of tranquility is conveyed by the unbroken coutour . The con-

RFVERENDTHOMAS HOPKINS GALI.AUDET

Plaster.11 Y:x 5 %, 5 inches.

D,: and i\10. GilbertEastman .

IIJ

v eaf

Artists

Digitized by

in

America,

Google

Colonial

to

Co ntemporar

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

y

tour is tightly packed without any movement, which is a characteristic of Hannan's sculptural work . The clothing details including his bow tie, high starched collar, and coat lapels are done in bas-relief so as not to distract the viewer's eye from the face. Reverend Gallaudet's eyes do not meet the spectator's eyes, as if he is in deep mediation or thought. The prominent nose, tightly drawn mouth, and introspective eyes enhance the impression of contemplation. The only activity detected is the curved sweeping line of the hair on the right side of the forehead, gently reminding us that Gal laudet is a mortal being.

WILLIAM SULZER

W ILUA.i\tt SULZER

1910. Bronzebust, Sulzer was a congressman h. 29 inches., accession number and governor of New York 1934_49_Collection of NewYork state . The Corcoran Gallery in Washington, DC, where Historical Society , NeJVYork. Hannan studied has an earlier work of the same subject by Hannan but for some unknown reason, he left explicit instructions that this work is never to be reproduced in any form . Sulzer was a brilliant speaker and was considered an eloquent champion of the common people . Sulzer's tall and ungainly figure with an unruly shock of hair was often the subject of criticism . Hannan has adeptly showed Sulzer's personality with his furrowed eyebrows and the firm line of his closed mouth .

AH13ECHARLES M ICHEL

ABBI:CHARLESMICHEL

DE LEPEE

DE I.:EPl:E

1929. dccli catcd August 7, I 930.

Bronze , appro,·imalely 6 feel Y 2 f eel 6 inches x 2 feet.

St. :\ fmy' 1Schoolfor the Deaf B4Jalo. ,\ 'cu·York.

EUG

ENE

Digitized by

ELMER

The French Abbot de l'Epee rightfully has been often called the father of deaf education as he ardently believed that deaf people should be taught to read and write. He used sign language as the main tool of

1111

HANNAN

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

communication and his system has been widely imitated in many countries, particularly America. Hannan shows the good Abbott in a full-length standing pose, with his head bent slightly forward and his eyes almost closed as if he is thinking of the most effective way to teach language to deaf children . His right elbow rests in his left palm and with his right hand he forms the letter "A" from the manual alphabet. REVERENDTHOMASGALI.AUDET

REVER END THOMAS .GALI.AUDET

n.d. Bronu colored plasterbust, 30

x 20 %x

11 'I,inches.

KansasSchoolfor theDeaf

11!1 Deaf

Arti

Digitized by

s t s in

Reverend Thomas Gallaudet was the eldest son of Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet and he followed his father's footsteps two-fold. Hannan's interpretation of Gallaudet shows an amicable and goodnatured personality. The bust of the son shows more pronounced clothing details than that of the father . However, like his father, his eyes turn inward as if he has a pressing issue in his mind. Unlike his father, his hair lays neatly on his head and his coat opens, revealing a vest. The vertical movement of the buttons leads the spectator to the face-the focal point and a characteristic of American Renaissance style .

A m e ri c a : C olon

Google

i al

to

Co n t e mporary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

1876-1962

SIGNATUREFROM t.AKINS AI ABOUT

Portraits and Photographs of Distinguished Americans

AGE SIXTYSEVEN" 1911.

PlatinumPrint,

6 1/,:.:4 inches.Courtesy of thePennsylvania Academyof theFineArts, Philadelphia . CharlesBregler's ThomasEakins Colledion .

ackground information on this early 20th century portrait painter and photographer remains obscure. However, the contributions of Conrad Frederick Haeseler cannot be ignored. His portraits of distinguished Americans are hung in such important sites as the buildings of the Philosophical Society of Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Historical Society, the Library of the Philadelphia Law Association, and the United States Appellate Court Room in Philadelphia. Haeseler was born deaf in Philadelphia in 1875. He enrolled at the Pennsylvania School for the Deaf in 1881 and graduated in 1895. Haeseler studied art at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts from 1898 to 1899 (incidentally, his mother was also a student in this school in the 1870s) and was a graduate of the Philadelphia School of Industrial Art. The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts' student card reveals that he took Drawing from Cast, Life Modelling, and Still Life Painting from 1898 to 1899. He specialized in portrait painting under H.H. Breckenridge and Thomas F. Anschutz. The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts archiv es show records of his exhibiting his photographs in the 1899, 1900, and 1910 Photography Salons held at the Academy sponsored by the Philad elphia Photographic Society . These Salons were quite prestigious shows in the history of photography. Haeseler exhibited The H eight of th e Bliz z ard in 1899, The Ploughman in 1900 and Head of the Child and Bless ing of Bread in 1901. Encouraged by his success he establi sh ed a studio on Walnut Str eet in the heart of

B

C O N R A D

F R E D E R I C K

Digitized by

Google

1-f ,\

C S E L E R

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

Philadelphia near Independence Hall. Haeseler advertised his services, numerous copies of which can be found at the archives at the Academy. He was a firm believer in a "good likeness" of the sitter. His advertisement reads "A portrait may be deemed a good work of Art, but unless it is also a good likeness it will not pass without adverse criticism. This is especially true of portraits painted of person deceased or of the many cases where sittings from life are impractical. CONRAD FREDERIC HAESELERmakes a specialty of painting life-like and life-size oil portraits on canvas. If furnished a good photograph of any man, deceased or living, with description of color--eyes, hair, etc.-he guarantees to make an oil painting to be absolutely satisfactory in regard to Art, likeness and general results" (Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, 1928). Haeseler's advertisement also names prominent men who had commissioned his work. Haeseler also specialized in restoring and repairing old portraits or "any paintings entrusted to him ... at reasonable prices." As his advertisement indicates, Haeseler is a thorough Realist. Realism as an art movement manifested in America in the early 19th century. Unlike their French counterparts, American artists including Haeseler who painted life around them were well received. Haeseler did not paint anything with which he was not familiar. He never drew anything from his imagination, but only from his eyes; he painted only what he understood and knew from his studies and observations. During this time the Wanamaker Stores were the most popular department stores in the Philadelphia and New York areas, with branches located also in London and Paris. It is a little-known fact that Honorable John Wanamaker, the founder of the establishment, had his portrait painted by Haeseler and it was exhibited in London and Paris as well as in America. There was a ceremony arranged in December 1928 by the members of the Friendship League to unveil the Wanamaker portrait in their temple. Haeseler was invited to exhibit his work at the International Exhibition of Fine and Applied Arts by Deaf Artists held at New York's Roerich Museum from July 21 to August 11, 1934. One hundred artists from all over the world with 475 works of art participated in this exhibition . The United States, Puerto Rico, France, Germany, England, Holland, Belgium, Canada, Italy, Czechoslovakia, and

Im

Deaf

Artists

Digitized by

in

Google

America

: Co lonial

to

Contemporary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

Bulgaria were represented. The show was significant in that it offered a panoramic view of the work of deaf artists. Haeseler died in York, Pennsylvania, on January 25, 1962. Despite his prolific success as a photographer no photograph of Haeseler exists. A CLOSER

LOOK

The following anecdot e illu strates th e hardship s deaf artists encountered in gaining recognition in the early 19th century. The portrait of fohn Wannamaker was hung on the first floor of the flagship store for many years. Haeseler, due to unknown circumstan ces, did not sign the work , which prompted one customer to write to the Philadelphia Inquirer, "In the grand Court of the fohn Wanamaker store there is a portrait of the store's found er. Who was the artist/ Have you any information on him/ " The newspaper print ed this reply:" On August 31, 1956, an 81-year-old gentl eman visit ed our office, so identi fied him self as th e artist. " WORKS RUDOLPHBlANKENBURG

This portrait of a kindly Philadelphia mayor reveals Haeseler's mastery in capturing the structure behind the face. One can sense the shape of the skull in the strong cheekbones and high forehead. The forehead captures the light, the light source coming from the sitter's right outside the picture frame, and is delicately balanced by the white beard. The role of light and shade is crucial in this portrait . The mayor fixes his glare on the specta tor and one feels drawn to the man, with no barrier perceived betwe en the mayor and th e viewer. The background is starkly black so as not to distract the viewer from th e face. The fact that the mayor is plac ed in an oval enhances th e impression of th e humanity and ben evolence of Mayor Blankenburg.

RUDO LPH BLANKENB U RG 1 n.d. Oil on ca111 as,

2 7 %x 22 1/,inches.

OLNER ELLSWORTH

The Historical Societyof Pennsyll'ania,Philadelphia.

Brush strokes are more pronounc ed in th e Ellsworth portrait than in th e Blank enburg portrait. Haeseler used a portrait mini atur e by John Trumbull

CONR

AD

Digitized by

FREDER

I CK

Google

HAESELE

Ill

R

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

(1756-1843) done in 1792 as a guide, which accounts for this difference in style. The light source is not as prominent as in the Blankenburg portrait; therefore, Ellsworth's face seems less well constructed . Light is diffuse throughout the artwork . Ellsworth, a lawyer who became chief justice of the United States Supreme Court, does not meet the spectator 's eyes, but turns to the left, creating a perceived barrier or "invisible wall" between him and the viewer. The spectator does not feel the weight of the form or body of the lawyer, but rather a sketchy form of the figure withdrawing from the spectator. OUVER ELLSWORTH1745- 1807

1926. Oil on canvas, 3 4 1/,x 28 ¼inches.

Princeton University

Giftof Bayard Henry, Gassof 1876 in 1926. HONORABLEJOHN WANAMAKER

This work demonstrates the true style of Haeseler as he worked from a live model. Again, Haes eler demonstrates his skill as a portraitist. The Wannamaker portrait shows the aura of a successful store merchant who had established a long-lived and profitable line of stores in the Philad elphia area . HONORABLE JOHN WA, AMAKER

Cirra.1900- 1910 Oil 011cani•m. 26 x 32 inches. 1hrI listoricalSocietyof Prn11syfMnia, Phlladelphia.

• D eaf

A rt i s t s in

Digitized by

A m e ri c a : Co lo 11ia l to

Google

Co ntemporar

Original from

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

y

Mr. Wannamaker assumes the air of the authority of an individual who knows

"what is good for the city of brotherly love." He needs no embellishments as he gazes intently at the artist . There is no jewelry or other objects with the exception of a black bow tie, the red button on his left lapel, and his stiffly starched white shirt. His pince-nez eye glasses are barely detected and his silver hair sits flatly in place against his head. Wanamaker's features have begun to show his age, with folded cheeks and sagging chin. Despite his age, his pose is rigid and demanding. EAKINSAT ABOUTAGE SIXTY-SEVEN

This photograph of the famed Philadelphia artist Thomas Eakins (1844-1916) is remarkable. Eakins knew sign language and could converse easily with Haeseler. Therefore, Haeseler was able to capture the "daring" characteristic of this man who defied the Puritan code by having his female art students work from a naked male model, a taboo in early 20th century America. The photograph reveals Eakins' determined personality . EAKINS ATABOUT AGE SIXTY-SEVE N

Circa197 1. Platinumpn'nt, 6 ¼x 4 inches. Courtesyof the Pennsy lvaniaAcademy of theFineArts, Philade lphia. CharlesBregler 's Thomas Eakins Colledion . Purchased with thepartialmpport of the PewMemorialTnist.

CONR

A D

FREDERICK

Digitized by

Google

H AESE

LER

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

WILL J. QUINLAN 1877-drca 1939

Fascination with Citiesin Print PORTRAITOF W ILL J. QU INLAN

111J. Quinlan was born in Brook-

n.d. Photograph. From W R. Roe's, "Peeps intothe

lyn, one of the five boroughs in New York City, on June 27, 1877. DeafWorld,"MCMXVII, He lost his hearing at the age of three. The published by Bemros e and Sons, young Quinlan was caught up in the exciteLimited , DerbyandLondon, ment of a city that, by the year 1882 saw the page127. Gal/nude/ University , highest point of immigration to New York Washington , DC City (789,000) and the completion of a modern marvel-the Brooklyn Bridge. It was a stimulating time to be in New York, particularly for a developing artist. He never lost his fascination with cities and his prints reflect this life-long love. The young Quinlan was educated by private tutor and at the famed Wright Oral School in New York City, which did not allow the use of sign language. He was taught to use his voice and lip read as his major mode of communication. He expressed an early interest in art and began art studies at the age of eleven. In 1905 while a student at the Academy of Design in Brooklyn he studied the art of etching, which held him spellbound. He studied under Professor J.B. Whittaker of Adelphi College and the National Academy of Design. He etched the marvels of the new architecture sprouting up in his native New York, including Manhattan Excav ations (1912).

■ D eaf

Artists

Digitized by

in

A m erica

Google

: Colonia

l to

Co ntempor

ary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

It was an exciting time for Quinlan, who as a child had witnessed the building of the Brooklyn Bridge, at that time the longest suspension bridge in the world (started in 1869 and completed in 1883). In his life, Quinlan also watched the building of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, the largest Gothic-style cathedral in the world (began in 1892 with the towers long under construction), St. Patrick Cathedral (begun in 1879, with the completion of the towers in 1888), and many other structures . He was awarded the Shaw Etching Prize at the Salmagundi Club in New York City for two successive years, 1913 and 1914. While his best-known works are etchings of street scenes and struc tures, he also painted landscapes in oils. The Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia and the National Academy in New York City acquired Quinlan's oil paintings. Some forty of his paintings and etchings were accepted for exhibition in the Art Palace of the Panama Pacific Exposition in 1915. In 1934 he exhibited eight oil paintings and eleven etchings at the International Exhibition of Fine and Applied Arts by Deaf Artists at Roerich Museum in New York City . The subject matter varied, with cityscapes, seasons, and structures. He continued to exhibit his works in Philadelphia, Chicago, Washington, St. Louis, and the World's Fair in San Francisco in 1939, which was attended by millions . During Quinlan's lifetime American Renaissance Art was booming, and he did not try to escape the enthusiasm the art world had for a delicate balance between American Realism and Greek Idealism. It was an unwritten rule that all great art is borrowed from the past . However, instead of drawing Greek architecture and other related Greco/Roman objects he focused on contemporary American buildings and bridges, giving them a majestic and Classical atmosphere seen in 16th century Italian Renaissance art. Quinlan never studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris; therefore he retained an American characteristic in his etchings yet with the "Classical spirit." To Quinlan, the American streets, wharfs with boats, libraries, and bridges assume the lofty role that cathedrals did in Europe. His style is very much like that of Cadwallader Washburn, who let the lines on the copper plate "speak" for themselves. Unlike Washburn, who preferred portraits of a variety of individuals , Quinlan found architecture more interesting. His etchings show that Quinlan understood , breathed, and loved perspective. Quinlan's works can be found in the permanent collections of the New York Public Library, the Oakland Museum in California, and the John H. Vanderpool Art Gallery of Chicago . Quinlan was a member of several art clubs, including the Salmagundi Club, the Brooklyn Will

J .

L) U IN

Digitized by

II

L A N

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

Society of Artists, the Brooklyn Painters and Sculptors, and sketching societies of Chicago and California. He was a charter member of the Society of American Etchers, which also included eminent deaf etcher Cadwallader Washburn. There are no records or documents that these two deaf etchers were acquainted with each other. Quinlan's last known whereabouts was a residence on Warburton Avenue in Yonkers in 1939. There are no available records or information on Quinlan after 1939. A CLOSER

LOOK

Quinlan was arrested at least once in New York City while sketching a new bridge that was being built, as he could not explain what he was doing due to his deafness , despite his lip-reading and voice-use . He was mistakenly thought to be a spy or a traitor. WORKS WASHTNGTO I HEIGHTS 7909. Etching,

'½ox 5 ¼inches. Colledion ofDavidProsser.

8

&Deaf

Arti

Digitized by

WASHINGTONHEIGHTS

This charming print reflect Quinlan's attraction to buildings and bridges. He did much work around Pittsburgh and New York. The outline of the rocky hillside and the railing between land and water leads

s t s i n A m e ri ca:

Google

Colo

n ial

to

Con t e mporary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

the eye to the majestic bridge. The bridge divides the picture plane but not on equal terms. It is placed at one-fourth of the width of the picture, which enhances the power of the bridge in the spectator's eye. The rhythm of the arches of the bridge brings to one's mind the former grandeur of Roman aquaducts. FIXING THEBOWSPRIT

Quinlan was also attracted to boats and water . This remarkable piece is a close-up, giving the view er a front-row seat to watch a seaman repairing his boat. The boat in the foreground sets the stage and points the way to the second boat. Then the hull of the second boat gently leads the eye to the seaman with a sledgehammer in his right hand. The tall vertical posts of the mast stand emotionlessly and stately. Their vertical rhythm is repeated in the short tie-posts in the foreground.

FIXING THEBOWSPRIT

1909. Etching , 8 ¼x 5 ¼inches . Fromthe Colledionof DonL Leone. NEW YORKPUBLICUBRARY

It is evident from this print that Quinlan has learned his linear perspective well. This knowledge enabled Quinlan to draw buildings and bridges with remarkable accuracy. The library stands impressively high and bathed in light for all to admire. There are no clouds in the sky to take the limelight away from the building yet there are darker areas of the sky at the very edge of the top that comple ment the bottom area, tying th e composition together to focus one's eye on the majestic building. Th ere is a soft dark undulating line of people streaming into the library , culminating in th e Greek/ Roman architectural style with pediments and round arch es.

Will

J .

QUI

Digitized by

Ill

NLAN

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

NEW YORKPUBLICLIBRARY.

Etching, 5 ¼x 7 ·%inches 1912

PrintCollection of Miriamand

IraD. WallaceDivision of Art, Prints and Photograph s, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundation s, TheNeivYorkPublicLibrary,

New York.

BROAD STREET. NEW YORK CITY

New York buildings stand proudly tall with the city 's inhabitants engulfed in their shadows. Quinlan's sense of perspective is impeccable, with the vertical buildings arranged in a curve leading the way to the tall and dignified building in the middle, which acts as an axis for all linear movement. The horizontal outline of the roofs of the buildings ties together the vertical buildings, giving the composition a sense of stability .

BROADSTREET. N[W YORK CITY I 9 I 3.

8 '

Etchi11g. \' 5 Ir i11ch c~.

Fromthr Coflcct,on of

Do11l.. T.co11r.

Ill

Deaf

Artists

Digitized by

in

America

Google

: Colo

nial

to

Co ntemporary

Original from

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

J

i

BLANCHE LAZZELL 1878-1956

ModernImages from WoodBlocks PORTRAIT OF Bl.A CH E LAZZELL

Circa1927. Pholograph,

lanche Lazzell was born forty-five years 8 x 70 inchesArchii>es of after Charlotte Buell Coman (1833- 1924 ), American Arl, Smilhso1i1a11 but the lack of support and encouragement Inslitution,Washington,DC for women artists still remained. Blanche Lazzell was born to a family with ten children on October 10, 1878, on the family farm near Maidsville, West Virginia, on the southern Pennsylvania border. She was the ninth child and had normal hearing. She remained attached to the magnificent area of the Monongahela River near her home, elements of which were reflected in her art throughout her life. While attending West Virginia Conference Seminary (now called West Virginia Wesleyan) in Buckhannon, she became ill and became almost completely deaf. Understandably, the loss of her hearing had a tremendous effect on her. Three years after her illness she wrote in a letter to a friend "I always say, and mean it, that I am the black sheep as well as the ugliest one of the family" (Madormo and Malloy, 1991). This self-criticism reflects her feelings of isolation and being different from the "normal" people at school and home. Although deaf she continued to speak well and saw no need to learn a new language. Lazzell refused to let her deafness be a stumbling block. She entered the South Carolina CoEducational Institute in Edgefield, and between 1901 and 1905 studied at West Virginia Univ ersity, where she majored in literature, art history, and the fine arts. Lazzell was determin ed to get the best education

B

BLA

NCHE

Digitized by

ml

LAZZELL

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

possible. The common and ordinary life of a married woman was not for her. In another letter written while a student at West Virginia University she remarked, "I am going to be an independent maiden lady. And I will show people I can be as happy as any one" (Madormo and Malloy, 1991). Lazzell never lost this positive attitude. At the University Lazzell thrived on hard work and the attention of her art teachers, Eva E. Hubbard and William J. Leonard, who exercised much influence on her. Both recognized her talent and encouraged her to be an artist despite what appeared to be a bleak future. Lazzell did traditional charcoal drawings from casts and painted in oils in Leonard's class. From 1907 to 1908 Lazzell went to New York to study at the Art Students League as had many deaf artists before her. In 1896 William Merritt Chase, who had taught Cadwallader Washburn, became Lazzell's teacher. One of Lazzell's classmates was another famed female artist-to-be, Georgia O'Keeffe (1887-1986). Given Chase's experience with Washburn he was used to having a deaf student . Chase communicated with Lazzell by voice with patience and compassion. Feeling the need to expand her understanding of art she went to Europe in July 1912 with a group of women . She visited London, Venice, Florence, Rome, Strassburg, Lucerne, and Paris . It was that summer that Lazzell found her niche. In the fall she returned to Paris, where she attended the Academia Julian and the Academie Moderne and studied with Charles Guerin and Charles Rosen. For the first time she painted the beauty of the country town of Fontenay-aux-Roses under the open sky. Guerin instructed her to focus on landscape more than figures as he felt she showed more promise in this subject. Despite her deafness she mingled with other American artists on foreign soil. There were clubs and associations catering exclusively to women including The American Women's Art Association, the Lodge Art League, and the British-American YWCA. Lazzell found a kinship with other women artists who were exhibiting in Paris at that time. Lazzell visited the Louvre and sketched in the Luxembourg Gardens. She attended exhibitions at the Salon d' Automne and Salon des Independents. She was enthused, learning, and absorbing all she saw. Lazzell left Europe in the fall of 1913 and returned home in West Virginia to open her own art school. She taught oil painting, watercolor, pastels and china decoration. She exhibited Impressionist landscapes and street scenes painted in Europe, still lifes and portraits done in America, and a selection of painted china in a one-woman show in Morgantown, West Viginia in December 1914. Local people liked what they saw.

□

Deaf

Artist

Digitized by

s i11 America

Go ogle

: Col o nial

to

Contemporary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

In the summer of 1915, Lazzell moved to Provincetown, Massachusetts, to study with Charles Hawthorne 11872-1930) at the Cape Cod School of Art . Provincetown became a haven for many American artists fleeing Europe and the uproar of World War I. A thriving art community emerged in this charming New England fishing village. Lazzell wrote in a letter to her sister dated July 4, 1915, "The town is alive with artists. I was at the opening reception of the Exhibition of the Art Association of Provincetown yesterday. Saw some people I knew in Paris. A fine crowd. I was certainly in my element, among the artists back from Europe" !Lazzell, Family Letters). Lazzell started making color woodblock prints in 1917. Her art with its bold forms and strong color was well suited to the color woodblock printing process. She soon became one of the leading exponents of the color woodcut in America-a method later known as the "Provincetown print." In 1918 she began to exhibit with the first color woodblock society established in America, the Provincetown Printers Group. Her fame increased and she exhibited her work frequently, contining to make wood prints and paint in oils. Feeling the lure of Europe once again Lazzell sailed in spring 1923 to Italy. Lazzell was forty-five years old and she wanted to learn the "new art." Pablo Picasso along with Georges Braque 11882-1963) in his Les Demoiselles d'Avignon in 1907 had shocked the art world by introducing Cubism. There has never been an art form quite like Cubism. It was indeed avant-garde and after its introduction art was never the same. Europe was experiencing the influence of the Cubist style when Lazzell arrived in Paris after her Italian tour. Cubism destroyed what the Renaissance artists had worked for-a rational sense of perspective, accurate anatomy, and lofty subjects and themes. In Cubist painting space is eliminated and figures are shown as flat and angular forms like the facets of a diamond. These forms are rearranged to show a picture, but not in a naturalistic style. At times, forms may be viewed simultaneously from several vantage points. Often, the figure and background have equal importance and the colors are reduced to a range of neutrals. It was entirely a new way of seeing. Lazzell devoted herself to a concentrated study of Cubism. She studied with Fernand Leger (1881-1955), Andre Lhote 11885-1962), and Albert Gleizes (1881-1953). It was from Gleizes that Lazzell learned to include the "golden section," which was an ancient formula for calculating with mathematical precision the "rhythmic center" of a composition. Lazzell's notes from this period are filled with complicated graphs and numerical progressions that demonstrate the BLANCHE

Digitized by

l.,\ZZ

E I.L

Google

Original from

□

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

scientific, intellectual basis of her mature work. She could not hear the rhythmic patterns of music but could visualize them in her artwork. Lazzell did color woodblock prints while in Paris which she exhibited at the American Women's Art Association and in the Salon d'Automne. She left Europe for the last time in the spring of 1924. In a letter written to her sister on April 20, 1924 she wrote, "we have had glorious spring weather, which is bringing out the leaves and the tulips, and hyacinths. It all makes me homesick for my native hills and for my little studio" IMadormo and Malloy, 1991). During the Depression Lazzell was chosen as a recipient of a Federal Arts Project grant as a West Virginia artist. Between 1937 and 1938 Lazzell returned to school, nearly sixty, to study Abstract Expressionism under Hans Hofmann (1880-1966). Lazzell experimented with Hofmann's ideas about space and color, always open to new ways of seeing. In 1949's, Forum '49, Abstract Expressionists were the major force in a summer program of performances, seminars, and exhibitions that took place at the Gallery 200. Lazzell was honored as one of the first Abstract painters in America and a pioneer modernist in Provincetown. A CLOSER

LOOK

Lazzell refused to relinquish control of the printing of her art work, as did fapanese artists, letting a carver and a printer do the transferring of the original art work to a print. She did it herself, working on variations in color, tone, and texture for each print. In 1929, she wrote: "Each print taken from the block is an individual work of art, for in the color print there are no exact duplicates" (Madormo and Malloy, 1991). WORKS NON-OBJECTIVE (B)

When Lazzell went to Paris she was exposed to Cubism and became captivated by the search for the underlying forms of objects. This work shows the influence of Braque and Picasso, who often used musical instruments in their work. We are not sure of the actual nature of the objects albeit we are fascinated by the shapes and movements conveyed by such objects, and the elegant easy atmosphere. THESEINEBOAT

In order to get a rich intensity in the final print Lazzell printed her work from a

single block that was carved to create the composition inked in a succession of colors. Her keen sense of perception dominates the work. The soft curves of the boat contrast with the stark straight lines of the buildings, and one curved roof echoes th e shape of the boat, giving th e work a sense of a relationship.

■ D raf Digitized by

Ar t ists

in

Google

America

, Co lonial

lo

Cont

emporary

Original from

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

NON-OBJECT IVE (Bl 1926 / Printed 1928.

Colorwoodcutonpaper, 14 x 12 1/.inches .

TheNationalMuseumof AmericanArt, Smithsonian Institution, Washington , DC

THE SEINEBOAT 192 1. Colorwoodcut

011 paper, 13 % x 12 ¾inches.

TheNationalMuseum of AmericanArt, Smithsonianlnstit11 /io11 , Washington,DC

BLAN

C H E

Digitized by

L AZ

Z E LL

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

THEPILEDRMR An art critic remarked

that "the artist has broaden in her conceptions, has gained a new mastery of colors ....Miss Lazzell now seems to be painting the picture that is left on the memory, instead of the picture received by the mechanism of the eye ...henceforth, greater things may be expected" (Madormo and Malloy, 1991). It is evident here that Lazzell had the aptitude for making titillating repetitions. When a motif is repeated it tends to be static or even monotonous, but under Lazzell's hand it becomes fresh and alive through varying sizes of the repeated lines and shapes of the piles.

THEPILEDRJVER 1935. 13

White-linewoodcu t,

¼:< 12 inches.

Mary Ryan Galle,y,Neu, York, New York. JAZZ COMPOSITION, BABAJI *4

Tlµs remarkable composition of abstracted musical instruments is reminiscent of the work of Braque or Picasso . We can see the elements of a guitar, a piano and other instruments. Babaji probably refers to scatting-a jazz singer using his or her voice like an instrument.

JAZZ COMPOSfT!ON. BABAJI ·H l 948 . Black crayon, got1ache,

r111d pastel 011 paper, 22 x 77 %inches . S. R.o::ycki.

■ Deaf

Artists

Digitized by

in

Google

America

: Colonia

l to

Co n t e mporar

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

y

JOHN LOUISCLARKE 1881-1970

Cutapuis-ManWho TalksNot PORTRAJ T OF JOHN LOUIS

CLARKE

D

eaf artists George Catlin and Joseph Circa 1950. Photograph. Henry Sharp opened our eyes to the MontanaHistori cal Society, fast-disappearing "wild West," paving Helena, Montana. the way to a better understanding of the Native Americans' rich culture, traditions, customs, and way of life. Obviously fascinated by this world, these artists were still outsiders. John Louis Clarke, however, was a Blackfeet Indian. He was born in Highwood, Montana, near Great Falls on March 10, 1881. Clarke lost his hearing completely at the age of two from scarlet fever. He never talked again and never learned to read lips. He was labeled as a "deaf and dumb Indian." This description was not meant to be an offense but to indicate that he never used his voice with the exception of an alarmed yell. Within the Blackfeet culture, silence was not an issue. Indian friends gave him his Blackfeet name, Cutapuis, which means Man Who Talks Not. His first communication was through Indian sign language and drawings he studied at the Fort Shaw Indian School in Montana. He also wrote notes to people who did not know sign language. Clarke, a friendly individual, made friends easily but preferred the company of deaf people . At an early age Clarke demonstrat ed his artistic gifts in making wild animals from clay tak en from th e riverbanks in the Highwood Mountains near his home. He went to th e Montana School for the Deaf, where h e first began to show hi s tal ent s in woodcarvin g. Based on this pot ential , h e J O H N

L O UI

Digitized by

S

CLARKE

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

was sent to the St. Francis Academy for the Deaf in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he learned the basics of wood carving . By then, Clarke had learned American Sign Language-a language he used throughout his life. He also studied still life drawing for a short time at the Chicago Art Institute. In about 1900 he found work in a Milwaukee factory where he carved altars for churches. In 1913 Clarke returned to the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in East Glacier, Montana, then known as Midvale, where he set up the art studio he would maintain for fifty-seven years. Despite his notable competence in oils, charcoals, pastels, watercolors, and clay, Clarke preferred wood above all. He drove his jeep around East Glacier looking for wood and twisted branches . He carved animals sometimes in maple and walnut but mostly in the readily available cottonwood . He preferred cottonwood because its rough texture and soft fiber could be easily shaped into shaggy fur. Sometimes he would paint or stain the pieces and other times he would let the natural characteristics of the wood dominate the work. The imperfections of the wood became humps, paws, ears, and tails . His reputation quickly grew and woodcarvers from all of the world visited him to learn his techniques. Clarke seemed to be able to understand animals in their natural habitat better than anyone. It has been said that Clarke could "read the animals' thoughts ." His carvings of animals are extremely realistic, yet his bears and other beasts are extraordinary due to his subtle "emotional interpretation." Clarke's love for wildlife is evident in his art. He became known among American sculptors as "The Bowie Knife Sculptor." In his lifetime Clarke carved thousands of works of animals. He revealed the characteristics of bears, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, grizzlies, wolves, buffaloes, and bison with realistic accuracy. He knew animals well . In 1918 Clarke won a gold medal from the American Art Galleries of Philadelphia for his work of a bear . His three woodcarvings in the 35th annual exhibition of American paintings and sculpture at the Chicago Art Institute on November 2, 1923, was one of the highlights of the show. These carvings included a mother bear with her cub resting in her arms and a puma's dramatic battle with a grizzly bear. John D. Rockefeller, Jr., bought eight of Clarke's carvings, including a set of bookends in 1924; one of a walking bear was sent to the permanent exhibit at Chicago Art Institute. This sculptured animal was about three feet high and weighed nearly 150 pounds, requiring many months to complete. President Warren G. Harding had a Clarke carving of an eagle holding an American flag.

□ Dtaf

Artist

Digitized by

s in

America

Go ogle

: Colonial

to

Contemporary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

Clarke won a gold medal from the American Art Gallery of Philadelphia in 1925. In 1934, Clarke joined deaf artists from all over the world in the International Exhibition of Fine and Applied Arts by Deaf Artists at the Roerich Museum in New York City. The program of this exhibition showed that Clarke exhibited three watercolor paintings, Lower Two Medicine Lake, Goat on Mountain, and Rising Wolf Mountain, and seven woodcarvings of various animals. Clarke continued to carve until the final days of his life. His eyes became bad from cataracts during his last few years, yet he continued mostly through sense of touch. Prior to his death he held the last exhibition at the Museum of the Plains Indian and Crafts Center in Browning, Montana, from August 30 until October 15, 1970. Sixteen of Clarke's versatile sculptures and paintings were shown, including works of wood, wood reliefs, monochrome cast stone, and oil on masonite. The Montana Historical Society in Helena opened a year-long exhibit of his work on December 4, 1993, which gave Clarke long overdue recognition. According to the curator of this exhibition, Kirby Lambert, "Clarke's skill went beyond anatomy." Lambert continues: "Each piece truly has its own personality; no two pieces are alike . I don't know of any other artist who has captured the spirit of an animal as John did" (Personal Communication, 1998). Clarke's work is now on display in the Gallery of Outstanding Montanans, and the John L. Clark Western Gallery and Memorial Museum in East Glacier Park, Montana. A CLOSER

LOOK

It is a little known fact that Clarke designed the logo, a mountain goat, used by the Great Northern Railway (Silent News, 1998). In writing letters, always an uncomfortable activity for Clarke, he often drew whimsical images on envelopes and stationary. This shows that he preferred to communicate with a picture rather than a word. WORKS PROUDBIGHORN

One of Clarke's early pieces, this work was cast in bronze and sold as a fundraiser for the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation . The work shows a big horn ram standing on an inclined rocky base. The animal is stained dark brown with a lighter muzzle and ears. The full-curl horns give the sculpture an air of elegance and pride which echoes through the rest of the animal's body. Clarke's animals were praised for their accuracy and ability to convey character.

JOHN

LOUIS

Digitized by

CLARKE

Go ogle

Original from

■

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

PROUD BIG HORN

Circa1920. Cottonwood sculpture, painttd, 18 x 12 ½x 5 Y.inchts.

Giftof MartinHanson, MontanaHiston·calSociety , Helena , Montana.

MOUNTAJNGOAT

Circa. 1923. Cottonwood sculpturt , painttd. 13 x 8 x 4 inches .

Giftof Horace].Garke, MontanaHistorical Society, Helena , Montana.

MOUNTAIN GOAT

This carved sculpture shows a mountain goat standing on a steep rugged rock or cliff. The goat stands with body parallel to the viewer with its head cocked to face front as if on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary-perhaps an enemy? The goat is painted white with black horns , eyes, nostrils, mouth, and hooves .

Ill

Deaf

Artists

Digitized by

i11

America

Google

: Colo11ia

l

lo

Co nt e mporary

Original from

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

UNTinED

Clarke carved small-sized animals, but also life-sized and large, historical panels for several public buildings in Montana. These door panels are now in the waiting room of the Blackfeet Community Hospital built in 1985. They demonstrate the much-desired peaceful coexistence between white men and Indians-a fitting theme for the entrance to a hospital with doors open for anyone seeking medical treatment , regardless of race . This frieze shows Clarke's mastery in carving people as well as animals .

UNTITIED

I

CarvedrPhilippineJ mahogany reliefs,3 panels (two are4 x 8 feet and oneis 4 x 3 feeO 19-lO.

Photocourtesyof TheJohnL. Clarke WestemArt Gallery&. Memorial Museum,EastGlacierPark,Montana. STANDINGBEARAND SEATEDBEAR

Clarke carved these bears with such a loving and understanding hand that it becomes almost impossible to believe that these animals are dangerous . The Standing Bear stands upright on its two hind feet, staring ahead with a soft facial expression . To enhance the tranquil pose the front feet of the bear hang straight down. The coat is heavily textured with fur and the animal itself is painted brown. The Seat ed Bear is also painted dark brown with an unpainted muzzle.

STA DING BEAR

Circa1945 and SEATEDBEAR

Circa1955. Cotton111ood, 9 1/.x 3 '.I,x 3 i, inches and 4 %x 3 x 3 114 inches.

Gijiof DonAnderson.1\tlonta,zaHistorical Society.Helena,,\lontann.

JOH

N

L OUIS

Digitized by

IIJ

CLARKE

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

CHRISTY MACKINNON MAXCY 1889-1981

YouCanGoHomeAgain

PORTRAITOF CHR1STY MACKINNON MAXCY 19 18. Photograph.From

y all logic the art of Christy MacKinnon "SilentObsenier,"publishedby Maxcy should have remained neglected Gallaudet UniversityPress,page by art critics. Most of her art works iv. Gallaudet University Press, have been destroyed or lost. She did not Washington,DC establish a commercial art studio. There was no monetary demand for her services. She did not advertise. Yet, through her niece's efforts, MacKinnon's works have been rediscovered, explored, reviewed, and finally recognized for their artistic contributions. Christy MacKinnon was born in the farming community of Boisdale, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada, on October 28, 1889. Raised in a family of twenty-one children she never lacked playmates on the farm. MacKinnon became deaf at the age of two from scarlet fever or in a mumps epidemic in 1891 which spread throughout the Canadian province. Her sister, Sadie, two years older, was also affected. MacKinnon conversed with her deaf sister in sign language. At the young age of six MacKinnon did a watercolor sketch of Alexander Graham Bell, famous inventor of telephone and teacher of speech . This watercolor shows a wild-haired man and two young Cape Breton girls, Christy and Sadie. Beneath this sketch MacKinnon wrote many years later:

B

"Young brid e stepmother prettied up the pallor, and told us to put on our Sunday dresses. Soon that stranger with Pa came

Ill

Deaf

Artis

Digitized by

t s in

America

Google

: Colo

nial

to

Co ntem

porary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

right in the kitchen and he sat down in a chair to test our hear ing sense. I was 6; Sadie was 8. The rest of the family stood back listening with wonder. How could I forget that man I learned later was Dr. Bell. God bless him . He tried God's work to make the deaf hear. He failed. In his failure, the good Dr. Bell (whose own wife was deaf) nevertheless made an interest ing and historic discovery-the telephone" (MacKinnon, 1993). In 1900 MacKinnon's father enrolled her in the Halifax School for the Deaf, where she received the most important part of her education and from which she graduated in 1908. MacKinnon's artistic talent was recognized by her family and teachers so she attended the Victoria School for the Arts as a supplement to her academic program at the School for the Deaf. MacKinnon continued to study at the Victoria School for the Arts after her graduation from the School for the Deaf. She began to undertake work commissioned by local citizens. MacKinnon was awarded a scholarship to study at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts in 1912. She studied drawing and portrait painting. Her studies ended when she, in her own words, "had to get out and work ....No time for painting portraits" (Keniry, 1975). She moved to New York City in 1915 and stayed for four years. In 1919 MacKinnon enlisted in the "War Work for Women" unit of Barnard College-a forerunner of the Women's Land Army. She found work as a freelance illustrator at art shops. After the war she returned to the Halifax School for the Deaf in 1920 to teach art . She remained at the school until her marriage in 1928 to John Maxcy, a New York printer who was also deaf. It was through her marriage that she became an American citizen. She had met Maxcy a few years earlier at a meeting of the New York League for the Hard of Hearing. "Helen Keller was a member and John was her escort," MacKinnon stated in a 1975 interview. "He was Helen's 'official' escort every time her family came into town for a Broadway show . They'd leave her in his care at the League. Everyone knew her" (Keniry, 1975). It was during that time that MacKinnon did another portrait of Alexander Graham Bell. This sensitive painting hangs at the Alexander Graham Bell Museum in Baddeck, on Cape Breton Island. MacKinnon established herself as a leading illustrator in New York, working primarily for the firm of F.A.O. Schwarz. In 1934 she, along with other important deaf artists, exhibited five of her watercol ors at the International Exhibition of Fine and Applied Arts at the Roerich Museum in New York City . The titles of her entries reflect her childhood on the farm, Hay Time, Ploughing , Aunt Sarah, An Old CHRIS

T Y

Digitized by

M A C K I NNON

Go ogle

MAXCY

Original from

■

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

Man, and Head of a Jersey. Her work received considerable interest. Her works had the characteristics of a self-taught artist as she did not choose grand themes. Rather her subjects were simple objects from the farm, yet the works revealed the love she had for that simple life. Many of her watercolors and oils became the property of her neighbors, presented as expressions of friendship. Although the majority of her formal portraits and landscapes from the period 1913 to 1960 are now lost, several MacKinnon works remain under the protection of Canadian museums. Close to a decade after the death of her husband in 1952 MacKinnon moved to Natick, Massachusetts, to live with her deaf sister, Sadie MacKinnon Theriault. It was at the Natick residence that MacKinnon continued a lifetime endeavor-applying her special artistic gifts and rich memories of childhood to record in pictorial and narrative form the life of a young deaf girl at the tum of the century. At the time of the artist's death in 1981, this collection was bequeathed to MacKinnon's niece, Inez jMacKinnon) Simeone. This portfolio with MacKinnon's reflections of childhood in rural Canada captures the joys and the challenges of growing up deaf in a hearing world and has been incorporated into a published book, Silent Observer jMacKinnon, 1993). This book has been chosen by the Scholastic Canada Book Club and the U.S. Children's Book-of-the-Month Club and as a Pick-of-the-List Picture Book by American Bookseller magazine. It also received excellent reviews by various book critics. MacKinnon's art style reflects her personal style, and her fresh eye. She did not attempt to II academicize" her work despite her masterly handling of perspective. She drew outlines carefully in black color and filled the contours with washed-out colors. Then she deftly used a different color to project forms instead of using the same color in different tones. Many of her works show colors spilling over the contours, giving the work a child-like quality. Facial expressions are an important part of MacKinnon works and they are very visible and easily interpreted or rather readable. There is no hint of royalty, lofty subjects, or mighty deeds of human beings, simply works of her family and world. A CLOSER

LOOK

MacKinnon 's works defy any art movement with the exception. perhaps, of socalled primitive art. A good example of this style is Henri Rousseau (1844-1910) a self-claimed "Sunday painter" whose disinterest in realistic forms and perspective led to his being labeled a primitive artist.

f:C!DeafArtists Digitized by

In

America:

Go ogle

Colonial

to

Co11femporary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

WORKS AKI WORKSFROMSJLENT OBSERVER

MacKinnon writes eloquently and vividly in Silent Observer about her life on the farm, "I went out to explore and found myself gazing at the circling legs, the tails, and the gimlet eyes of fifteen cows. Grandma shouted a warning to Pa, who AKI WORKSFROMSILENT OBSERVER

Gallaud et UniversityPros, 1993. In tht late 1950sand early1960sMacKinnon painted herreminiscences in a series of watm:olors. Theywerepublishedpost-humouslyin the book, SilentObserver in 1993.

rushed out of the barn . He paled when he saw my red dress beneath a cow. Striding slowly, he grabbed me and held me high above the cow's backs and horns. Then he airlifted me to Grandma." MacKinnon continues in the book that after her mother's death she and her sister moved in with their grandparents, yet it was her father who "loomed largest" in her world . Her father was a gifted farmer and teacher and to MacKinnon he was "bigger than life." MacKinnon conveys this brilliantly by showing only her father's long legs as seen by a child sitting on a

CHRIST

Y

Digitized by

MACK

I NNON

Google

II

MAXCY

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

"-

.,,... -

-

low bench. MacKinnon strains her neck to get a full view of her father's face, which appears to be out of her reach. MacKinnon was expected to carry her weight on the farm despite her deafness . This work shows her driving the cows in from the pasture . Her sense of perception as seen from a child's eye is remarkable considering that she painted this work in 1960 when she was 71 years old. Th e last cow in th e line must have appeared huge to such a small child. The spectator's eye is drawn to the child and wanders gently to th e end of the lin e with a sense of "going home ." MacKinnon writes: "Every afternoon at 5:00 ...the cows were always ready to come home. They told time better than our old kitchen clock!" Du e to MacKinnon' s illn ess sh e was not sent to school, but was educated by her fath er until she was 11. She was sent to th e Halifax School for the Deaf in 1900. It was a traumati c experience for her and she was homesick for many weeks .

II

D e af

Artists

Digitized by

in

A mer i c a : Colo

Google

n ial

to

Con t e mporar

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

y

MacKinnon (1993) states in her journal, "Several times I tried to run away. I would slip through the high grill gate and search for the train station." Eventually, she adjusted . "My favorite place at the school was the big gate overlooking Gottingen Street. Even though I no longer wanted to run away, I loved to watch all the horse buggies and the people on the street. I especially liked the soldiers on parade, some in red uniforms, some in khaki . Whenever my friends didn't see me in the dorm, they knew where to find me ."

C HRI

STY

Digitized by

MACK

I NNON

Google

ml

MAXCY

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

REGINA OLSONHUGHES 1895-1993

Scientific Illustrator REGINAOLSONHUGHES

Circa1975. Photograph.

Al

t history books, generally, do not nclude scientific illustration, which

Gallaudet University , Washington, DC

as been long considered more technical, utilitarian, or even distinguished craftsmanship rather than a means of artistic self-expression. The necessity of executing accurate images of natural plants and flowers requires explicit replication of the object, thus eliminating personal input by the illustrator. It compares with the characteristics of the Byzantine period of art in the 6th century and other early periods when artists had to comply with the regulations set by the Church. Regina Olson Hughes was one of the best known scientific illustrators for the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. Her accomplishments become more phenomenal when one takes into consideration that she was, in most part, self-taught in botany. Her formal education focused on the arts and languages in the United States, Europe and Asia. Her primary goal as a botanical illustrator was to show a plant with the precision and level of detail required for it to be recognized and distinguished from other species . Many artists, including the 17th century Dutch masters, the French Impressionists, and contemporary artists, painted flowers, but since their goal was aesthetic, accuracy was not always necessary or intended. However, a talented botanical artist could make the illustration go beyond its

Deaf

Artists

Digitized by

in

America

Google

: Colonia

l to

Con temporary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

scientific requirements and the work becomes a thing of beauty in its own right. Hughes was such an illustrator. Regina Mary Olson was born on February 1, 1895, in Herman, Nebraska, a hearing child who attended public schools. She loved her rural home, rampant with weeds, plants and flowers. An interest in art also dominated her childhood. Her parents provided art tutoring. Plants and flowers were her favorite subjects. She was to write many years later: "I could draw before I could write. I would draw all over my schoolbooks and Papa would have to pay for my books. I was always crazy about flowers. We used to get five cents for ice cream cones. I would never buy ice cream-I would buy flower seeds. I would dig up wildflowers to transplant them on my parents' farm. They're still on Papa's place" (Peterson, 1987). At the age of ten, Hughes began to lose her hearing and was completely deaf by the age of fourteen. She retained her speech skills and continued to speak fluently throughout her adulthood. However, she also became proficient in sign language when she enrolled in Gallaudet College (now Gallaudet University). Hughes earned a bachelor's degree in 1918 and a master's in 1920. At Gallaudet she proved her gift as a writer and poet, contributing many poems to the college's newspaper, Buff and Blue. Gallaudet, recognizing her supreme efforts in scientific illustration, awarded her an honorary doctorate of humane letters in 1967. After college, Hughes had her sights on a government job. She contacted then-Senator Gilbert Hitchcock, a founder of the Omaha Daily World and a friend of her father, for advice and was told that "nice girls don't work. She is to go back home in Nebraska and stay with her 'papa' and meet a nice man to take care of her." Hughes later remarked, "Well, in the first place, I wasn't a nice girl. And I didn't want to go home and find a nice man to marry me. So I went out and got a job" (Peterson, 1987). She worked at the Veterans Administration for a few weeks before moving on to the State Department. She worked as a language translator and also at the War and Commerce Departments. Contrary to her earlier lack of interest in marriage, she again fell under the spell of her former college chemistry teacher, Dr. Frederick H. Hughes . They married in 1923 and lived on the Gallaudet campus for thirty years before his death in 1956. Dr. Hughes had a most distinguished forty-year career at Gallaudet, and the Hughes Gymnasium on Gallaudet campus demolished in 1999 was named after him.

REGINA

OLSEN

Digitized by

llU

Go ogle

G IIE

Ill

S

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

In 1925, the Department of Agriculture hired Hughes as a researcher, but soon after recognized her artistic talents and made her an illustrator. In 1931 Hughes joined the Agricultural Research Service (now a branch of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)) as a botanical illustrator, where she remained for thirty-nine years. Hughes began to read all she could about botany, working closely with taxonomists and other scientists as she drew and painted the flowers, weeds, plants, and seeds from all over the world they collected and categorized. She continued to pursue her interest in languages in order to enhance her scientific vocabulary, adding to her existing knowledge of French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and some Latin. Her interest in art and language generated thick sketchbooks. Most of her paintings, as well as many flower-studj.es, are based on sketches made during her travels throughout much of the world. Hughes once remarked that she had "splashed in the Fountain of Youth in Florida, washed her feet in the Jordan, dipped her hands in the Ganges and listened to the oracle at Delphi" (Peterson, 1987). When she sketched she made notes of the colors, the time of day, and the surroundings for future paintings. Hughes' illustrations began to appear in numerous textbooks and publications, and her botanical paintings and drawing were exhibited in many museums and galleries. A collection of forty watercolors of orchids were exhibited in the Rotunda Gallery of the Museum Natural History of the Smithsonian Institution. She did oil paintings of flowers during her spare time and exhibited three (two decorative panels in oil and a yulip and dogwood in oil) at the famous International Exhibition of Fine and Applied Arts by Deaf Artists in 1934 at Roerich Museum, New York City . Six thousand of her illustrations accompanied by her own plant descriptions appeared in one work alone, a U.S. Department of Agriculture Handbook, published in 1927. This work took her two and a half years to complete. Hughes received a commission to do the illustration for the USDA yearbook in 1960 and in 1962 she was the recipient of the Superior Service Award for her interpretive and accurate original drawings of plants, abstracting scientific papers, and translating foreign phases. In 1965 Hughes retired but continued to create and exhibit art. In 1978 she caught the attention of botanist Robert Reed, a curator at the Smithsonian, who started her second art career. Impressed by the quality of a ladyslipper illustration, Reed asked how she had to come

ma Deaf

Artists

Digitized by

in

America

Google

: Colonial

to

Contemporary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

to paint the wild orchid. Reed decided work of Hughes' quality would come in useful in his professional writings so he scraped together money from his departmental budget to pay her . This extraordinarily working relationship between Hughes and Reed lasted for seventeen years. She was approximately 74 years of age when she started to work for Reed and he is said to have affectionately regarded her as his grandmother. Hughes continued to exhibit at solo and group shows. She was a member of various art organizations including the National League of American Penwomen, where she had exhibited over twenty-two years, the Washington Water Color Association, exhibiting her works for twenty years, and the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators, showing her work for eighteen years. In the autumn of 1986 she had three exhibitions at the same time, the Smithsonian Institution at Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota, the Easter Orchid Congress in Alexandria, and at Gallaudet University. She is the only deaf artist to have a solo exhibition at the Smithsonian Institution. Her orchid paintings are permanently on public view at the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. Her paintings of flowers and plants are representational yet there were times when the subjects were blown out of proportion, signifying their importance or the need for further study. For this very reason Hughes is now considered an essential contributing artist for scientific research. WORKS JUIY AFTERNOON

Hughes continued to paint well into her eighties and nineties . She loved to paint in her tiny apartment in Washington, DC. Flowers remained her favorite theme. Despite her usual focus on scientific works, her watercolors of flowers and plants executed during "off-work hours" breath with life. The flowers appear to be painted with joyful brush strokes. BROMEI.ACEAE BILLBERGIA REGINAE

Th.is plant was named after Hughes as was a species, Hughesia reginae . Th.is remarkable work was prominently exhibited at the Smithsonian Institution in 1979. Hughes often worked in pen and ink accompanied by watercolor to enhance the true characteristics of plants and flowers. There are no backgrounds to distract the scientists from the main subject of the work. Colors are held to a minimum to avoid interference with the subject. Similar parts of the plant might be shown in different levels of detail. Distortion is frequently seen in Hughes' works in order to

REGINA

O LSE

Digitized by

N

HU

Go ogle

G HE

S

Original from

■

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

JULY AITERNOON 1970,

Watercolor on paper, 18 x 14 inches. Gallaudet Uni11mity , Washi11gt o11 , DC.

show important parts, and this is where Hughes employed her aesthetic skill and artistic license . Despite the precision of the rendition the result is often a pleasing composition of different scales and details.

BROMElACEAE

BILLBERGI.A REGJ :AE

1978. Watc1Tolor on paper. 78 ',; \ 15

..

· • -...,~ :"'... .,,.":i:.. ••",,.....

i11 ches.

...-4- .,..-~ . --~"" ~

GallaudetUniversity , Wru/iington,DC

•

Deaf

Arti

Digitized by

s t s in

America

Google

: Co lonial

to

Co nt e m p o rar y

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

BEGONIA EVANSLANA

1987. Watercolor 011paper,16 1/,x 12 inches . GallaudetUniversity , Washington , DC

BEGONIAEVANSIANA

Hughes' love for flowers is evident in this work. It shows the delicacy of Begonia evanasiana , a bromeliad. The shadings of the leaves are subtle, yet in harmony with the rest of the composition. Some petals can be seen dropping and other younger buds more upright as if they were in the beginning of their lives. Hughes understood flowers . To be an effective botanical illustrator one has to be intelligent, patient, knowledgeable, aesthetic , and naturally artistic. Hughes was all of these.

STOKESIALAEVIS (Hill) GREENE

This illustration again demonstrates Hughes ' skill in rendering plants for study. Plant and flower parts must show exact proportions in a corresponding scale . Methods of drawing such objects require careful preliminaries. Plants must be taken from their natural habitat and spread out on a table with their leaves separated . Parts of the plant are dismembered and shown in a larger scale to help visual identification . Roots might be shown elsewhere to reveal their structure, rather than their true spatial relation in the plant, as seen in Hughes ' illustrations . STOKESJA V.EVJS (HILL) GREENE

n.d. Watercolor on paper, 16 Y.x 12 i11 ches.

Gallaudet Universi ty, \Xlashingto n, DC

REGI

NA

O L SEN

Digitized by

HU

Google

G HE

S

Original from

■

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

KELLY H. STEVENS 1896-1991

Paintings of Southwest Landscapes PORTRAITOF KELLYH.

STEVENS

elly H. Stevens remained a true South1920. GraduationPhotograph. westerner all of his ninety-five years GallaudetUnivcr:-ity. 11 and his art reflects his love of this part \Va:-hi gt011 • DC of the country. Mexia, Texas, was his birthplace on March 30, 1896. He became deaf at the age of five from scarlet fever and retained the use of speech. He could speak clearly and pronounce words almost flawlessly. Drawing and painting were Stevens' early interest and when his sister noticed this she gave him his first paint set. He enrolled in the Texas School for the Deaf in Austin in 1907, where the widow of the distinguished Texas painter W. H. Huddle nurtured his skill. Stevens attributed much of his successful use of color and love for the Texas landscape to Huddle's guidance and teaching. When Stevens graduated from the School for the Deaf in 1914 he immediately entered Gallaudet College (now Gallaudet University). While at Gallaudet, he also studied drawing, painting, and composition at the Corcoran School of Art under Edmund C. Messer and Richard N. Brooke. After graduating from Gallaudet College with a B.A. degree in 1920 Stevens accepted a position as an art teacher at the New Jersey School for the Deaf in Trenton !now Katzenbach School for the Deaf) and studied life drawing at the Trenton School of Industrial Art under Henry McGinnis. The summer of 1924 found Stevens in Europe, where he visited art galleries particularly in Italy. Touring Europe to

K

■ Deaf

Artists

Digitized by

in

Google

America

: Colo11ial

to

Contemporary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

paint gave him a taste of the advantages of studying abroad and in the summer of 1925 he enrolled in the New York School of Fine and Applied Art in Paris. He began a long friendship with the renowned deaf artist Jean Hanau. He traveled to Italy and Spain to familiarize himself with the Old Masters. In 1926 he studied under deaf Spanish painter Valentin de Zubiaurre, who had a substantial influence on young Stevens, particularly his paintings of peasant life and the Basque country of Spain. This was the start of a long friendship with Valentin and his brother, also a deaf Spanish painter . During the Spanish Civil War the contact between him and the painter brothers continued despite censors and blockades. Stevens even managed to smuggle some de Zubiaurre paintings by submarine from Valencia to Barcelona, then to Paris, and finally to Texas. Stevens became an active member of the Salon International des Artistes Silencieux, exhibiting in Paris in 1927, Madrid in 1928, and Brussels in 1930. After a brief time in the States teaching at the New Jersey School and painting in Arizona and New Mexico, where his paintings of Pueblo Indians brought him recognition in national art publications, Europe called him again. He established a studio from 1933 to 1934 in Madrid after a period of study in Paris. While in Paris Stevens studied the theory of color and figure painting more in depth under Louis Biloul and portrait and figure painting under Henri Mor riset at the Academie Colarossi. In 1934 he spent much of his time in Spanish provinces. He, like many of his artist friends, exhibited at the important International Exhibition of Fine and Applied Arts by Deaf Artists in New York City at the Roerich Museum. He exhibited sixteen pieces of art using three different media, oil, watercolor, and ceramics. He later took these works on a national tour that brought him much recognition. Back in the Americas in 1936 he studied in Taxco, Mexico, with Wayman Adams (1883-1959), painting the surrounding landscapes. That same year he taught art at the Louisiana State School for the Deaf in Baton Rouge where he stayed for thirteen years. While in Baton Rouge he earned his Master of Arts degree from Louisiana State University in 1938. His classes included a course in Italian fresco technique taught by Conrad Albrizo. Many of Stevens' paintings focused on the Southwest landscape, the Grand Canyon, and the ceremonial dances of Native Americans. His studies of African-American life and the live oaks of Louisiana received much interest. His work was praised for its use of light and color and toured in one-man shows in Houston, Dallas, Trenton, KELLY

H .

Digitized by

■

STEVENS

Go ogle

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

Shreveport, and other cities. He also wrote many biographical articles for The Silent Worker on deaf artists of renown, and eventually wrote his own biography and reports of his experiences in Europe many years before. In 1948 Stevens began a project that would take the rest of his life. He bought a house in Austin that was built in 1857 as a "free school" for the German colony in that area. The house was in bad shape, and Stevens began a restoration process in 1954. The renovation was completed in 1957. The result is a magnificent example of an early German home, and the house has been recognized by the Texas Historical Society as a historical site . Stevens continued to paint and exhibit his works over the next thirty years. Between 1961 and 1964 he traveled throughout Europe, organizing committees to solicit gifts of art work by prominent deaf artists including Washburn, Goya, the de Zubiaurre brothers, and Jean Hanau for a collection to be exhibited at Gallaudet College's Centennial Celebration. In the 1970s, the University of Texas in Austin honored Stevens by offering him a room at the Humanities Research Center for an exhibition of deaf artists. More than twenty works of the de Zubiauree brothers, Goya, and Jean Hanau were shown at this exhibition. LOOK

A CLOSER

Stevens' favorite artist was Pierre-Augustus Renoir, a French Impressionist (1841-1919) who painted leisure-time activities enjoyed by the middle-class . WORKS BASQUEFISHERMAN"ONDARROA"

Stevens gave the following advice to budding artists: "learn to draw from life and not be deceived by the mode of abstraction . With the tools of drawing under command, expression will come naturally. A painter can be realistic and later become abstract. That is what Picasso did" (Williamson, 1971). This belief is reflected in Stevens' work . His work can be defined as representational as he never steered far from reality . STREETIN TAXCO

Stevens was fond of Taxco, a Mexican town famous for silver mining. In this work, Stevens used tonalist effects to project the stillness of the scenery. People move, but slowly and steadily . The atmosphere is ethereal and infinite.

Ill

Deaf

Artist

Digitized by

s in

America:

Go ogle

Colonial

to

Contemporary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

BASQUE FISHERMAN "ONDARROA" 1933 . Oil on canvas ,

26 ¼x 22 ¼inches . A rt Colledion, HarryRansom Humanih·esResearch Center, U11i1 >ersityof Trxasat Austin.

STREE T IN TA.XCO 193 6. Oil 0 11canvas ,

29 ½x 34 ¾inches. Art Collection , HarryRa11som HumanitiesResearch Center, University of Texasat Austin.

KELL

Y

H .

Digitized by

STEVE

N S

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

I LOOKEDOVERJORDAN I 938.

22

Oil on canvas ,

½x 31 ½inches.

Art Colle ction, HarryRansom

H11manities Resear ch Center, Uni1 'trsityof Ttxnsat A ustin.

I LOOKEDOVERJORDAN

This unusual work was executed when Stevens was teaching at the Louisiana State School for the Deaf . The painting has religious overtones including three people with wings. This was one of Stevens' favorite themes and he did several works on the same subject. THEOW GERMAN FREESCHOOL

This is a photograph of the house restored by Stevens from 1954-1957. During Stevens' years of research and rebuilding he managed to get authentic hardware including doors and cornices from dismantled houses in the area . The result is an impressive example of an early German home in Texas. The house is a split-level structure with the lower story serving as an apartment for guests and the upper the Stevens studio and living quarters. The house was recognized by the Texas Historical Society as a historical site. In 1991 he donated his historic home to the German Texas Heritage Society and it still serves as the organization's headquarters.

TH E OLD GERMAN

FREESCHOOL

.Austin, Texas. I 8 5 7. Photographed by /-Jans vonSch1vei1i1lz Au(t,n, Texas.

■ Deaf

Artists

Digitized by

in

America

Google

: Co l onia

l

lo

Conte

m p orar

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

y

1897-1960

PORTRAITOF CHARLES

ArlDeco in theNation'sCapital

CARROLL SULLIVA

192 5. Photograph.

RichardC Sulliva11 . MountHolly, Virginia .

e major art style in America in the 1920s and 1930s was Art Deco . The New York skyline has strong Art Deco characteristics. Art Deco utilized modern materials !steel, chrome, glass) to create geometric patterns and a rich display of decoration. It was a perfect companion for the fast-paced world of the 1920s, using materials that glitter and sparkle to dazzle the eye. Art Deco became symbolic of people on the move as well as the speed of the car and airplane. The term "deco" came from the Exposition des Arts Decoratifs, held in Paris in 1925, where the style first appeared as a significant force. Art Deco was a perfect tool for the sculptor/stone mason Charles Sullivan. He was commissioned for important sculptural work on buildings in Washington, DC. Charles Carroll Sullivan was born in Westernport, Maryland, on February 13, 1897, the second son of nine children. When Sullivan was one year old he became totally deaf from typhoid fever. He communicated with his family in gestures . He was admitted to the Maryland School for the Deaf at the age of five on September 25, 1902. Sullivan was transferred to Kendall Demonstration Elementary School IKDES) three years later when his father opened a tombstone monument shop on M Street in the Georgetown area of Washington, DC . The young Sullivan drew whenev er he could both in school and after. Once he completed hi s studies he knew what he wanted, to carve in stone. He wanted to do more than just carve tombstones, but he

Ti

CHARLE

S

Digitized by

CARRO

LL

Google

S U L LIY

A

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

wisely knew that his father 1s monuments shop was a good beginning for a stonemason. Sullivan approached his father for lessons. The senior Sullivan apparently taught him well and Sullivan soon was acclaimed as one of the best stonemasons in the country. Numerous tombstones in the Washington vicinity were designed and carved by Sullivan. Upon the death of his parents he designed and carved their tombstones in the family plot in Columbia Gardens Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia. However, his best known work was the stone reliefs on the facade of the Bulletin Building, Washington, DC, in 1928. These four carved stone reliefs are one of the earliest Art Deco figural sculptures in Washington. The four panels are placed on the top of the front of the building. The major theme of the panels is the progress or rather the development of the printing press, a trade Sullivan understood well as he had taken some printing courses at school. The four reliefs cover printing in three continents and six centuries, from ancient China through Renaissance Europe to America of the Revolution and on to the 1920s. The printers are shown working on machinery in a woodblock style of sharp outlines, defining large forms that can be read easily from the street below . The first panel shows a Chinese printer working to print a scroll from a revolving wheel typesetting device, which is regarded as a forerunner of printing in Europe. The second relief is not as clear as the first but the leaded glass window and costume place this panel in Renaissance Europe, with Johann Gutenberg, the father of Western printing. The third panel displays Benjamin Franklin, who is well known for his love of the printed word, writing or signing a document, perhaps the Declaration of Independence. The last panel is of a modern American printer who probably worked in the Bulletin Building, which was a printing establishment. Despite the modern building materials favored by Art Deco sculptors Sullivan worked best in stone, albeit in Art Deco fashion . Art Deco has an unique history. It appeared when Americans artists were looking for II something new 11 that would shake off European influences and characteristics. They saw the opportunity in Paris and brought Art Deco back and molded it into something II Americanized, particularly in its use on skyscrapers in New York. Paris had no skyscrapers . London had only spires, not super-tall functional buildings . But, New York did. New York1s Chrysler Building and Woolworth Building are excellent examples of Art Deco style and they have a distinct American flavor. Art Deco then moved beyond New York and became America 1s own art style. 11

[:J

D e af

A r I i s I s i n A m e r i c a : Colonial

Digitized by

Google

lo

Contemporary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

Since Art Deco was a decorative style, and broadly eclectic in its range, it was a natural tool for Sullivan who never took art history courses. Art Deco is more of an exotic fantasy, which allowed highly individual expression. There was no need for Sullivan to pay close attention to the influence of western styles, but he could work alone using his own individual style. Since Art Deco was essentially a decorative "skin" it was best adapted to architecture, at which Sullivan excelled. Sullivan sculpted figures in solid mass with flattened contours to supplement the architectural background, producing a harmonious effect. In Sullivan's work there was no competition for the spectator's eye between architecture and design. The important features of his work are clear and clean shapes, often with a "streamlined" look, with ornaments that are geometric or stylized from real objects, all in tune with the Art Deco movement. Sullivan also did the sculptural work on the Washington Cathedral-an unique accomplishment as only the finest carvers were invited to work on the Cathedral. Unfortunately, records of the specific locations of his cathedral work have been destroyed. A CLOSER

LOOK

Sullivan took college entrance examinations , as he wanted to attend Gallaudet College, but did not pass. This did not deter him , but mad e him more determin ed to become a sculptor or stone ma son. WORKS SULLNANFAMILY CEMETERY PLOT

Sullivan carved this tombstone after the death of his parents . His love of Art Deco is evident in the artwork at the top of the tombstone.

SULLIVANFAMILY CEMETERY PLOT

ColumbiaGarden s Cmzete1y, Arlington,Virginia. Photocredit : SteveBrenner

CH

A R LES

Digitized by

CARRO

LL

Google

S ULLI

VAN

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

THE BULLETINBUILDING FACADEREUEFS 1928. Stone.Designed by

GilbertLaCosteRodier,a natiw Washingtonian and carvedby CharlesSullivan.Photo credit : National Galle,y ofArl, Washington , DC

THE BULLETINBUILDING FACADE RELIEF S

The ornamental motifs used in these reliefs are of Art Deco style as evident in the waves, parallel stripes, spirals and sunbursts, and zigzags down the facade, as well as ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian references in the papyrus bundle columns with ziggurat tops that border the door. Sullivan saw to it that these reliefs were not simply applied over the design, but rather carefully worked into the overall design. THE BULLET! BUILDING (DETAIL) 1928. Stone.Designed by

GilbertLaCosteRodier.a nali1 ,e Washingtonian and carved by CharlesSullivan.Photomdi l: NationalGalleryofArt, Washington , DC

Deaf

Artist

Digitized by

s in

Ameri

Google

c a : Colonia

l lo

Co n te mporar

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

y

JEANHANAU 1899-1966

Art Nouveau

POTRAJTOf JEAN HANAU

ColorPhotograph by FlorenceL Ohn·nger. 1954 .

Renate Kugel A lpert, he European art world was buzzing Neu, York, New York. about the new art movements Dada in 1916-1923 and Surrealism in 1924-1945. Dada was initiated by a group of intellectuals who escaped Zurich in 1915 and was an attack on the meaninglessness of war and all forms of cultural standards and artistic activity. The movement spread to New York, Paris, Berlin, Cologne, and Hanover. Surrealism was an offspring of Dadaism that explored psychic experience and was influenced by Freud. Surrealists attempted to unravel the subconscious processes of thought by accident and automatic effects that offered a new realm of imaginative possibilities to shock the viewer. In 1924 the poet Andre Breton organized a Surrealist exhibition in Paris that was both admired and criticized. Of course, there were Cubism and Fauvism to be reckoned with. None of these styles were adopted by Jean Hanau. Hanau even knew Picasso and did a drawing for him on a napkin in Paris . Yet, Hanau's art escaped these characteristics and remained distinctly separate from the mainstream, as he retained his own styl e which had a large appeal as something out of the ordinary, som ething different . His work more or less related to the Art Nouveau styl e, French for "new art," a highly ornamental style of the 1890s. Charact eristic s of thi s new styl e are floral patt erns, rich colors, whiplash curv es, and vertical att enuation and designs taken from plant forms. A w ell-known exa mpl e of Art Nouv eau is Louis Comfort

T

JEA

N

■

H ANAU

Digitized by

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

Tiffany's I1848-1933) glassware and lamps. This is not to say that Hanau followed the characteristics of Art Nouveau by rote or blindly. Hanau developed his own unique style, which show a trickling of influence of Picasso, Andre Masson 11869-1987), and other contemporaries. It was his "mirror art" that he had developed as his trademark. Jean Hanau was born deaf to an affluent family in Paris on June 2, 1899. He never felt comfortable with his deafness. A small and frail man, Hanau gave the impression of a gentle and delicate man with impeccable manners. A good example of the denial of his deafness would be his refusal to be interviewed for Life Magazine. The highly respected publication had sought an interview with him after his move to New York. However, Hanau had a pathological fear of being labeled as a deaf artist and subsequently refused to be interviewed. He remained a private man throughout his life, preferring a small circle of close friends. His family felt that talking vocally was the most effective communication mode and encouraged him to use speech-an attitude that remained with Hanau. Hanau never mastered the art of signing. Recognizing Hanau's artistic gift, his family provided the young artist with private tutoring. Hanau befriended the illustrator Pierre Brissaud, who advised him to study under Corman at Ecole des Beaux Arts, Paris. He continued with his private lessons at Colarossi Atelier and the Montmartre Academy after completing his studies at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. The budding artist's unusual combination of classical details combined with emerging contemporary expressionistic forms fascinated his teachers, particularly the famed painters Louis Biloul, Bernard Naudin 11876--1946), and Picard-le-Doux. Hanau, after his intensive studies, opened a studio in 1925 on the Boulevard Saint Michel and spent his summers in the Midi in southern France, at Toulon, Cannes, and other coastal cities. Seascapes with warm colors, seaport traffic, and street scenes intrigued him. Hanau exhibited regularly at the Salon d' Automne, in the Salon des Independants, and in galleries with colleagues who called themselves the "Group of Eleven ." He was the only deaf artist in the group. The French government purchased two of his paintings for the national collection, and the city of Paris bought one for its municipal collections . The year 1928 found Hanau in the United States, where he remained for six months painting landscapes in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. However, it was in the Southwest that Hanau began to realize his full potential. He was able to use his ultimate skill in rendering warm and bright colors. Hanau enjoyed studying the culture of Native Americans in New Mexico, which was novel to him. His paintings of

■ Deaf

Arti

Digitized by

s ts

in

Ameri

Go ogle

c a : Colonial

to

Contemporary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

that period show cacti and hollyhocks, adobes, gardens, and mountain landscapes. He was also intrigued by Indian designs and used many of them in his work. One of his most successful private exhibitions, partly consisting of the paintings Hanau executed during a long trip to the South, was held at Bernheim Jeune, Paris in 1929 and the subject was the Indians of New Mexico and their dances. He sold nearly all of his works from this show . He continued to demonstrate his versatility by painting a series of city scenes. The American experience moved him to continue to paint Native American ceremonies (Festival Day and Santo Domingo) and dances . He completed the work from sketches he brought back from America . His American collection was enthusiastically received by the French public in a 1930 exhibition . Hanau continued to explore and expand his art . His art and creativity saw a change around 1931 when he experienced a transformation in his technique and in his choice of subject matter. He abandoned sketching trips and the use of models in favor of drawing upon psychological perceptions and memory. The resulting work with its Surrealist overtone was so different that it appeared to be done by a different artist. Hanau began to prefer a tiny palette knife over the brush. With this new method, he could mix colors partly on the palette and partly on the canvas to achieve arresting texture and glaze . The result is a thick, rich even paste which covers the canvas, retaining a porcelain-like smoothness and gloss that requires no retouching and no varnish. Hanau painted his The Birth of Venus in this changed style. The subject matter goes back to his early days at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, where classical subject matter was mandatory. In this painting , Venus rises from the waves of the sea and floats on draperies in the manner of Botticelli's (1444-1519) Birth of Venus . On either side of Hanau's Venus are two groups of five figures . All are portraits of Hanau's noted literary and artistic friends, including the AfricanAmerican poet Countee Cullen. Hanau had cleverly succeeded in marrying two most unlikely components, the classical and the contemporary. Hanau was to continue this unique marriage after his Birth of Venus in his series of portraits and still-life paintings. The famed International Exhibition of Fine and Applied Arts by Deaf Artists at the Roerich Museum in 1934 exhibited six Hanau oil paintings that were among the most acclaimed works of the show. An art critic in the New York American wrote that Hanau had a "rare feeling for delicate and sensuous coloring" (Stevens, 1937). The Roerich Museum frequently exhibited these paintings in a number of galleries in the northeastern United States after the closing of the show. JEAN

HA

NA

Digitized by

U

Go ogle

Original from

■

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

Another change in Hanau's style was seen later in the 1930s. He began to experiment with techniques for applying designs in gold after painting decorative murals, screens, and porcelain pieces. The National Manufactory of Sevres accepted numerous Hanau designs that were displayed in Paris. At the same time Hanau was invited by a wealthy Parisian living in New York to design a mirrored decorative panel for an apartment. From this apartment commission Hanau explored the application of designs in gold, silver, and colors on the back of mirrors. This technique became known as eglomise. Hanau's gold leaf on mirrors and lacquered panels were found in the Hotel Plaza, the Countess Mara boutique, lobbies of Manhattan apartment buildings, and commercial offices. He had one-man shows at many galleries in New York, including Devamberg and Druot, and also had exhibitions at the Penthouse and IBM galleries. He moved to New York permanently and became an American citizen in 1942. He was active in the deaf and hard-of-hearing circles and was a member of the defunct Merry-Go-Rounders, a club for deaf and hard-of-hearing oralists. He did numerous sprightly and bouncy illustrations with Art Nouveau designs and motifs for their newsletter. After his death a number of unstretched canvases were discovered under his living room rug by his friends. They were restored for an exhibition at an art gallery on Park Avenue, New York, May 16-19, 1968 under the title, Jean Hanau: Retrospective. A CLOSER

LOOK

Hanau was not as well known in America as in France and as a consequence he died penniless . WORKS MALEAND FEMALECIRCUSPERFORMERS

During the time when Hanau became interested in the new technique of using a tiny, finely tempered palette knife he became interested in new subjects such as acrobats, clowns, horses at the circus, and people in the lobbies of theaters . He began to attach more importance to the form than to the realism of the subject. The performers in this work do not relate to each other personally, yet their similar forms provoke some kind of kinship. The male performer uses his right arm to play the guitar whereas the female uses hers to support her body. CIRCUSPERFORMERSEATEDATA TABLEAPPROACHEDBYA YOUNG WOMAN CARRYING AN EMPTYBOWL

The meaning of the painting is not clear. The artist was interested mainly in the forms and texture . It reminds one of Picasso's Blue Period, when he painted circus

■ Deaf Digitized by

Artists

i11

Google

America

: Colonial

to

Contemporary

Original from

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

MALEAND FEMALE CIRCUSPERFORMERS .

Oilon canvas, 51 x 37 ½inches. 1934.

Rer1attKugelAlpert.

people. With Hanau 's new technique of using the palette knife the colors were mixed on the canvas . The modeling of light and shade and all the details were executed with this knife . However, Hanau worked on a small area at a time each day and did the adjoining area the next day and so on, very much like the fresco technique of ancient Egypt and Rome . The result is a thick, rich, and even paste that covers the canvas, retaining a porcelain-like smoothness. No brushstrokes or strokes of any kind can be seen .

CIRCUS PERFORMERSEATED AT A TABLEAPPROACHED BYA YOU G WOMAN CARRYI G A EMPTYBOWL 1954.

Oil011ca1111as ,

5 1 x 33 1/.inchrs.

Renate KugelAlpert.

J EAN

H A

Digitized by

Ill

A U

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

NAPOLEONAND NOTREDAME

Although Hanau made his start as a painter of oils and representative art of the 1930s, his unique contribution to art was his skillful work with gold leaf on mirrors . These works indicate the academic approach he learned at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. Each figure and building on his mirrors was carefully proportioned . Yet, the decorations take an Art Nou veau form. He was a specialist and a pioneer and a large part of his original technique disappeared with him when he died .

NAPOLEONAND NOTREDAME

n.d. Goldleafon mirror(eg/omistJ , rach 4 ½x 3 inches . RtnattKugelAlpert.

lfa

Deaf

Artists

Digitized by

in

Am e ri c a : Colonia

Google

l to

Co nt e mporar

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

y

Artistsborn1900-1969,works 1937-prrsent

ForgingAhead THE ART AROUND THEM

The popularity of modern art, particularly Abstract Expressionism, brought American art international recognition. For the first time European artists began to look to New York for new ideas, a trend that continued through the second half of the century. Art movements mushroomed as a rapid succession of inventions and other technological developments made "art" a relative term . It seemed that art could now be an idea, action, performance, written work, photograph, earthwork, or even a light or sound show . Pop Art, Op Art, Photorealism, and Minimalism are some of the movements of the time. Several of these movements use everyday or mundane subjects, and many of them require viewers to be aware of their own role in interpreting or interacting with the work. HOW THEY LIVED AND LIVE

Deaf artists in this chapter were fortunate to have had diverse resources from which to draw their ideas and inspirations. The postcivil rights deaf artist had more access to mainstream culture. For the first time museum programs, art lectures, and art networks (or any organization that receives federal monies) had to be deaf accessible as mandated by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Deaf interns were now working in museums and were often called as docents for tours that included deaf people. Numerous theater productions were interpreted or came with a script for deaf audience members to read. Some films are being released with open-captioned versions, and

Ill Digitized by

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

movies for home rental are closed-captioned. Early 1970s closed-captioning for television developed into more widespread captioning in the 1980s. All of these developments give deaf, hard-of-hearing, and late-deafened people greater entree into mainstream culture. HOW THEY WORKED AND WORK

Unlike the deaf artists in the first chapter, the artists in this chapter no longer needed to come from a "family with means" to obtain an education or find good work, essentially to "move ahead." Information and training regarding new art movements is more readily available. Regardless of a person's communication mode, communication barriers have begun to lower, TIY s or teletype devices allow deaf artists to use the phone, and e-mail makes correspondence more convenient. Deaf artists have fewer obstacles to getting their work seen, being included in gallery shows, and competing with their hearing counterparts for commissions. The World Wide Web also gives deaf artists a chance to display their art to a broad audience.

Digitized by

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

1906-1988

Sculptor's Hand Guidedby God PORTRAIT OF N . H ILLIS ARNOLD

.

1975.

CentralInstit11te of theDeaf

Hillis Arnold defies any sculptural St. Lo11is , Misso11ri . style as he was equally at home working on a highly abstract beaten metal relief or a realistic terracotta portrait. He worked in wood, metal, ceramic, and stone, and although natural materials appealed to him most, he experimented extensively with polyester resins. Arnold considered himself a religious artist rather than a sculptor of religious art. His work, both religious and secular, was a reflection of God in his life. He was often known to say, "my hand is guided by God. God and worship are very much a part of my life. I could not work without projecting my thoughts of God into my work" (Wahonick, 1986). He remained a firm believer of sculptural works that create an emotional response. Arnold was born on a wheat farm in Beach, North Dakota, in 1906. He became profoundly deaf from meningitis at six months. As a child, his health was poor, and his parents kept him at home . At the turn of the century deaf people were usually not visible and their special needs were not widely recognized. Arnold's parents had available nearby only a small country school for hearing children. The residential school for the deaf in the state of North Dakota was in Devil's Lake, approximately 360 miles away . However, his parents preferred an oral education and Arnold's early education was provided by his

N

N .

HI

LLI

S

Digitized by

IIJ

ARNOLD

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

mother, a former teacher, at home. Arnold's mother recognized his artistic talents when he was three. When Arnold was ten years old he saw from the family farmhouse back porch one of his family's cows covered with mud after a hard spring rain. He scooped some mud in his hands and began to create little objects. His mother was impressed with what she saw and bought him some modeling clay to keep him occupied. The sculptor was born. Arnold's formal education began when his family moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1918 and his mother enrolled him in the Minneapolis Day School for the Deaf, where oralism was used in the classroom instead of sign language. After several disruptions to his education Arnold graduated with honors from Minneapolis Central High School at twenty-two. Despite his early mud sculptures, young Arnold preferred the field of architecture and applied at the School of Architecture at the University of Minnesota in 1933. Because of his deafness he was denied admission. Arnold was persistent and finally was admitted in the art school at the University of Minnesota, where he studied painting for three years. However, he never lost his love for architecture. While at the School of Architecture was then finally admitted to the School of Architecture and graduated cum laude. He participated in a class competition for the design of murals and captured first place. He completed eighteen panels of murals commemorating the building of the School of Architecture. He was invited to join the honorary architectural fraternity and won the Keppel prize in sculpture. "It is very important to me that art be an integral part of the environment in which it is placed," Arnold once stated (Wahonick, 1986). He continued to study art at various institutions including the Minneapolis School of Art and the Cranbrook Academy of Art at Bloomfield Hills, Michigan . At the Cranbrook Academy he met the distinguished Swedish sculptor Carl Milles 11875-1955), who became his mentor and a lifetime friend. Arnold assisted Miles with his fountain The Wedding of the Rivers displayed at Union Station Park in St. Louis. Subsequently, commissions came Arnold's way, including sculptural figures for the Mayo Clinic, sculptured figures for the Terrace of the Hotel Nicollet in Minnesota, Book Cadillac Hotel in Detroit, and deep-relief panels for the facade of the new University of Minnesota Public Health Building, designed by William lngemann. Arnold accepted a position as instructor in sculpture and ceramics at Monticello College in Godfrey, Illinois, in 1938, where he taught

■ Deaf

Artists

Digitized by

i11 America:

Google

C olonial

to

Contemporary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

for thirty-four years. Some of Arnold's pupils have become wellknown sculptors, owing to his influence, dedication, and ability to communicate his artistic knowledge despite being deaf. In order to communicate with his students at Monticello College he took advanced lip-reading classes at the Central Institute for the Deaf in St. Louis. However, he was a firm believer in Total Communication, using all communication modes including signing, speaking, writing, and even drawing. His sculpture Deaf Given a Voice demonstrates his belief in using Total Communication to teach deaf children. The sculpture has a large eye form at the top, representing the eye of the deaf person, necessary for sign and spoken communication skills. The arm with mobile fingers at the bottom of the work represents the use of sign language. Such symbolism is always apparent in Arnold's work. He often said, "I believe in the abstract, but not without symbolism." To Arnold art without symbolism becomes lifeless and meaningless. He also had an adversity to the picturesque as he felt this style lacked form. For this very reason, there are no clearly defined muscles or bulging tendons in his figures. "Art is something to make people interested in form and color and line-the building blocks of art." Arnold held up a finger and stated, "First is the idea." Once the idea is planted firmly in mind the sculptor starts to play with the clay. He carefully looks for an idea suggested by the form of the clay. The finished sculptures are then copied from the clay models IHerweg, 1979). Arnold said, "Deafness has made my work better because I am not distracted" IHerweg, 1979). His works can be found in more than ten major cities in America and abroad. He was religious to the end of his life and attended church regularly. With the exception of his work on deaf students, the majority of his work had spiritual and theological themes. His work shows elongated figures, the main characteristic of Gothic period, considered by art historians to be one of the most religious periods in history. A CLOSER

LOOK

Arnold often worked with architects to get the look and feel of the building. When given a church commission he worked with the congregation since he felt it crucial that art be an integral part of the environment. A deeply religious man, he considered all his work. both religious and secular, as a reflection of God and life. By this very characteristic his work belongs in this chapter instead of the following chapter on culturally Deaf artists since deafness as a theme in his work was sporadic and not the core emphasis. N.

HILLIS

Digitized by

AR

NO

■

LD

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

WORKS WORLD WAR II

1945. DrdicatedMay 30, 1948. Sculpturt:limestone ; Base: red gra11ile. Sculpturt:approximately 4 Ofeet x 1Ofeet 2 inches x 5 feel 9

inches;Base:approximately . 1fool 6 inchesx 16fut 9 in. x 17 feet 2 inches. Soldier' s MemorialMuse11m !Courl of HonorPark, St. Louis. Missouri. PhotoCredit :Joe Carrico.

Deaf

Ar tis t s in

Digitized by

A m e r ica : Co lo11ial

Google

l o Co n te mporary Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

WORLDWARII

This ambitious bas relief honoring Louisiana soldiers who lost their lives in World War II is one of Arnold's best known works . The work is on obelisk -shaped limestone with carved relief scenes of families, war, death, and ascension into heaven. The shaft shows army soldiers on one side and navy sailors on the other side leaving home, in combat and rising from death. The base WORLD WAR II (DETAJL) begins with a soldier's farewell to the family and 194 5. Dedicated May 30, 1948. ends with his fallen figure. The last figure is death, "without which," Arnold told an interviewer on JanSculpture: limestone ; Base: red uary 25, 1949, "I could not honestly create a war granite.Sculpture: approximately memorial, lest I be glorifying war" (Schulman, 4 0 feet x 10 feet 2 inchesx 1949). However, the largest figure is tall and upright , 5 feet 9 inches;Base:approximately . serving as a reminder that the dead shall not have 1foot 6 inchesx 16feet 9 in. x given their lives in vain . Arnold also included Tl feet 2 inches . women in uniform in this work. The curvature of Soldier'sMemon·af Museum!Cot1rl the stone slab prevents the spectator's eye from of HonorPark,St. Louis, Missoc1ri . escaping quickly into the sky, focusing on th e tur PhotoCredit:Joe Carric o. moil of war.

N .

HI

LLIS

Digitized by

ARNOLD

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

THE STATUEOF OUR LADY

THE STATUEOF OUR I.ADY

The statue has been the heart of Fontbonne College since it was dedicated. Graduation ceremonies and other important events take place in front of the statue. Mary stands gracefully with her arms upraised slightly to welcome students and visitors to the protective and educational world of Fontbonne Coll ege. The undulating folds of her cloak project the comfort of repetition and familiarit y and at the same tim e lead th e spectator's eye to Mary's face.

7952. Dedicated12, 1953.

If!

Deaf

Artists

Digitized by

in

America

Google

: Colo

nial

Paintedconcrete , approxima tely 8 feet3 inches 4 feetx 22 inches. Fontbonne College , St. Louis, Missoun·.

to

Co ntemporary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

MAKEME TO KNOW THYWAYSO LORD, TEACHME THYPATHS

The design symbolically depicts the story of man's growth from embryo to adulthood. The tale starts in the lower right with God represented as the sun, giving his blessings to a family represented by the house . The sunbeam represents the Spirit of Life, from which emerges a newborn child, represented by the embryo . As the child begins to grow, his steps are shaky, and his world is one of unrelated problems and toys represented by scattered blocks, masks, and toys. These problems appear small and trivial, but they also grow as the child grows, with the blocks increasing in size gracefully along the curving line. At this point, the child is introduced to the Work of God by entering the actual doors to Christian education . The handles of the doors are the open Bible with crosses superimposed on the pages. The stick men represent various parables. The full-fledged Christian is represented at the top of the doors pushing away the blocks, thus resolving his problems. The man finally becomes a mature Christian carrying the cross on his back, and with God's help fulfills his destiny as the Son of God. A graceful sweeping line of people ties the composition togethe½ bringing the spectator's eye from the bottom of the curve to the top to trace the development of the man .

MAKEME TO KNOW THYWAYSO LORD, TEACHME THYPATHS

Dedicated19s9. MakeMe ToKnow Thy WaysO Lord, TeachMe ThyPaths. Copperdoorswith brass and copper sculptural relief, 7 x 4 'I.feet.

Nom1a11d y Presby terian Churr.h , Nom1a11d y, Missouri . Photo credit:JoeCarrico .

N

H ILLI

S

Digitized by

A R NO

LD

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

REREDOS

REREDOS

This expressionistic work took approxDedicaled }u11e1966. Bumishedcoppe1 ; 15 :< 5 fret. imately a year to complete . It took the GraceEpiscopal Church,Kirkwood , Missoun ·. sculptor from 15,000 to 20,000 hamPhotocrrdit:JoeCarrico . mer blows to make each of the twelve figures on the screen. Arnold explained his design to a St . Louis reporter: "The center of the reredos represents Holy Communion with a broken loaf of bread and a large chalice, which symbolically resembles the tail of a fish. Fish were an early Christian symbol for Christ for the five Greek letters that spell 'fish' are the initial letters of the five words, 'Jesus Christ God's Son Savior.' To the left, a woman is filled with rapture as she participates in the Eucharist while at right, a man bows in humility because of his unworthiness to receive God's gift . On the far right is the family unit guarded by the Holy Spirit in the presence of a hovering dove. Rays of light from the beak of the dove lead to the Bible in the hands of the father. The group to the left represents the brotherhood of man under the watchful eye of the ever-present God. One man in the group is trying to be a Good Samaritan to his fallen brother and is encouraging him to take his rightful place within the circle. In the background is a sketch of Grace Episcopal Church. Despite numerous details in this work the human figures retain their importance due to their higher relief stance leaving other objects in low relief. Between the left and cent er panel is the vine in fruition with the flowers at top representing faith and hope . The vine , which has its root in the sacrifices of our Lord, encompasses the entire sculpture to insure that none for whom Christ died might be lost. At the other side of the Holy Communion unit is a sketch of two hands plucking a leaf . This is my symbol of the confirmand when man takes upon hims elf the vows made for him at his Baptism . From a rudimentary knowledge of God , he goes through the cultivation of years of growth, symbolized by th e obstacl es in th e terrain and becomes a fruitful Christian as denoted by the flower at th e top" (Alth off, 1966).

· 1

Deaf

Arti

Digitized by

s t s in

Ameri

Google

c a : Colo11ial

lo

Co n t emporary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

THE LEARNERS

This work was chosen in a competition open to all area artists by Artists Sponsors, Inc . and it was a gift to the Central Institute for the Deaf from Mrs. Joseph Grand . The idea for the sculpture came from Arnold's own speech training with his mother when he was a small child. The subject of this sculpture is the feeling of the vibrations in the neck made by the vocal chords. Th e design focuses on the abstraction of faces, hands, and arms. Details such as clothing, muscl es, and other related human attributions are not included . Arnold provided very different perspectives from all sides of the statue : from one side a teaching emphasis emerges, from another that of learning, and still a THE LEARNERS third view provokes a tender relationship between 1975. Georgiamarble , the teach er and the learner. Arnold strove for sim2 feet x 1 'I,feet plicity in form and outline in order to create a silCentralTnstitutefor the Deaf houette against the natural lines of two people working together. St. Louis, Missocm ·.

N .

HI

LLIS

Digitized by

ARNO

LD

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

DAVIDLUDWIG BLOCH

b.1910

DAVID LUDWl G BLOCH

I

1996. Photograph . Private Collection.

NeverAgain: Artistof theHolocaust nlike N. Hillis Arnold whose tranquil life was expressed in his religious art, David Ludwig Bloch, a native Jewish German, wanted to express the terror he confronted in the Holocaust. Thirty years after the Holocaust he was able to do so. The Holocaust had a tremendous impact on the arts. The work of important Jewish artists such as Marc Chagall (1887-1985), Jacques Lipchitz (1891-1973), George Grosz (1893-1959), Oscar Kokoschka (1886-1980), and Max Ernst (1891-1976) was banned in Germany. Many artists, David Bloch among them, were forced to escape to America or elsewhere. It is a great irony that Adolf Hitler, the architect of the Holocaust, had once aspired to be an artist. The Vienna Academy of Fine Art rejected his drawings in October 1907, three years before Bloch was born . The Hitler government despised the new art movements that were budding in the pre-Second World War era . These new movements included Expressionism, Impressionism, Cubism, Surrealism, Futurism, and other abstract art forms. Hitler acclaimed Classicism and nothing else. In addition, any art showing the subject of property, cruelty , and the pathos of the human condition was strictly forbidden by the Third Reic h . Artists who would not follow these "aesthetic reforms" were subject to humiliation, ridicule, persecution, and eventual deporta tion to concentration camps. Such was the environment in which Bloch found himself in his growing years.

U

Im

Deaf

Artists

Digitized by

in

A m er i ca:

Google

Colo

nial

lo

Co ntempo

rary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

David Ludwig Bloch was born in 1910 in Floss, Bavaria, and was an orphan soon after his birth. He became deaf at the age of one due to unknown causes and was raised by his grandmother. After being educated at the two different schools for the deaf in Munich and Jena from 1925 to 1927, the gifted young Bloch was trained as a porcelain painter in Plankenhammer starting at age fifteen. He received a scholarship for study at the State Academy for Applied Arts in Munich from a Jewish foundation in Frankfurt (1934-1936 and 1938), where he learned the technique of woodcut which was to become crucial in his future artistic work. He also learned calligraphy, graphics, and composition. His early career ended, sharply and unexpectedly, with Kristalnacht, the night of broken glass, November 9-10, 1938 when Nazi soldiers burned Jewish shops and synagogues. Bloch was arrested and sent to the concentration camp Dachau near Munich, where he remained for four weeks. Miraculously, an American cousin intervened and won Bloch's release, purchasing him passage to Shanghai, China. The metropolis in eastern China, where Bloch arrived in May 1940, had become a last refuge for some 20,000 European Jews. Unlike other cities, Shanghai required no visa upon entry. Despite the difficult living conditions, the "cultural shock," the different language, and a decline in financial and social means, Jewish immigrants in Shanghai created a rich cultural life. Bloch participated in cultural activities and became a member of ARTA (Association of Jewish Artists and Lovers of Fine Art, Shanghai). Bloch gained wide recognition as an artist in 1942 through various exhibitions and the publication of sixty woodcuts under the title Huuanghaoche, a rickshaw series published in book form with commentary (Bloch, 1997). Bloch lived in China for nine years, including the time of the Japanese occupation, but difficult times did not prevent him from producing many fine pieces in graphics and oil and exhibiting and selling his works to diplomats. His black-and-white and colored woodcuts were sometimes whimsical and comical pieces depicting Chinese life. However, Bloch did not limit the subject matter to the lighter side, often creating compelling illustrations of poor Shanghai refugees who were often victims of the war. These scenes affected Bloch deeply and the ability to express them was a prelude to his later art work expressing his own experiences as a Holocaust survivor. In 1949 Bloch moved to America and settled in Mt. Vernon, New York. There, he worked as a lithographic artist for twenty-six years. His most important commission was a lithographic job separating DAVID

LUDWI

Digitized by

G

BLOCH

Google

Original from

■

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

colors for a service of china for the Lyndon Baines Johnson White House, depicting flowers from each state of the Union. Bloch continued to exhibit as he did in China. Many of his watercolors, woodcuts, china designs, and book illustrations were exhibited at the Washburn Arts Center at Gallaudet College in October 1975. Included in this exhibition was a set of playing cards based on watercolor paintings showing historical American events and personalities that Bloch had worked on for five years. It was not until 1975 after Bloch had retired that he managed to muster the will to visit Dachau. This visit inspired his Holocaust work . The Holocaust series of paintings, alternatively titled Never Again or In Der Nacht, consisted of a sequence of paintings telling the story of how the Jewish people were transported to the camps and showing the cruel treatment they received at the hands of the Nazi soldiers. These paintings and other work done on wood are sized symbolically at 14 by 48 inches as reminders of the boxcars that brought the Jews of Europe into the death camps. Dark spaces, skeletal figures, and the imminence of death show the enormity of man's inhumanity to man with such a force that the images are not easily erased from the viewer's mind. Bloch has explained , "It is my duty not to forget 11 (Bloch, 1980). Bloch's Holocaust art has been exhibited at galleries, public libraries, and Jewish community centers across the country . Bloch's work with the theme of the Holocaust ties him to a specific art movement from his mother country, German Expressionism, which included contemporary German Expressionists Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (1880-1938) and Emil Nolde (1867-1956) . German Expressionism, characterized by emotional extremes and a spontaneous approach, was an effective vehicle for Bloch's Holocaust work. The Holocaust paintings by Bloch reveal sympathy for the suffering of humanity. A true German Expressionist, despite his American roots Bloch takes liberty with the figures, as the figures are not accurately proportioned . The book Deaf Persons in the Arts and Sciences (Lang, 1995) states that Bloch did not limit expression of his Holocaust experience to his art, but participated in many exhibits and projects that told the stories of deaf victims in particular. One incident related in such an exhibit was when 146 deaf Jewish citizens were dragged from the Israelite Institute for the Deaf in Berlin in May 1942. "Thousand of other deaf people were put to death, and tens of thousands sterilized as the Nazis tried to wipe out the 'defect' of deafness. 11 Accounts of how hearing friends risked their lives by answering for the deaf prisoners when their names were called have been brought to light in

□ D ea f

Art

Digitized by

is t s in

Ame

Google

r i ca : C olon

i al

to

C ontemporar

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

y

these workshops. Bloch, in his paintings and sketches, retold such stories, including his own as a deaf prisoner who "saw" the screams of his fellow prisoners. Block's Crying Hands has been praised by critics around the world as a testimony to deaf Holocaust victims. Bloch's lithographic work for the In Der Nacht series became internationally known and toured the world for several years. It opened at the Los Angeles World Games for the Deaf in July 1985 and traveled to Bonn, Frankfurt, Berlin, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, London, and Paris. This exhibition also was shown in Nuremburg and Fureth and concentration camps Dachau, Auschwitz, and Buchenwald among others. The American stops were in New York (Federation of Jewish Philanthropies and American Jewish Historical Society at Brandeis University), Pittsburgh (Congregation Rode£ Shalom), San Francisco IJudas Magnes Museum), and Washington, DC (Gallaudet University). In 1989 Bloch exhibited twelve In Der Nacht paintings at the Deaf Way International Arts Festival at Gallaudet University, an event that drew more than 5,000 visitors from all of the world. A CLOSER

LOOK

Bloch's life and works have been commentated in several books and magazines including a mission in art: recent holocaust works in america by Vivian Alpert Thompson and Gallaudet Today, Winter 1987-1988. WORKS A DAYIN CHINESEBUSINESS

Despite his persistent memories of the Holocaust, Bloch has never lost his sense of humor. Faceless Chinese merchants and customers are shown doing activities including selling, buying, moving merchandise, browsing, discussing, and walking. Commerce buildings portray a wide gamut of Chinese market life from a teashop to a wine/oil/soy sauce shop . Despite the effects of a busy street a feeling of tranquility or placidity is conveyed, a far cry from the feeling of his Holocaust paintings. Bloch indirectly uses repeated motifs, including heads to correspond with the round lighting fixtures inside and outside of the shops. This manipulation of the motifs binds the figures with the architecture . Perspective is flat, yet the buildings come alive with beautiful calligraphic contours that add to the quiet yet lively composition . Colors are also flat without any shading. The calligraphic lines take the top priority customary in Chinese painting in which natural light is rarely used. The mass of white background communicates a statement of the abstract, not a realistic drawing of a market . Yet, this work is distinguished by a diligent attention to details. Here, as in many of his woodcut prints, Bloch signs his name in Chinese.

DAVID

LUD\X

Digitized by

! I G

Bl.

Go ogle

OC

H

Original from

•

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

A DAYIN CHIN ESE

CHINESEBRIDGE,SHANGHAJ

BUSINESS

This charming watercolor reveals Bloch's mastery of the medium. There is an aura of peace and stillness . In this painting nothing moves except the gentle ripples of the river . The bridge ties the houses on the left with those on the right. The image of the bridge is reflected on the water below, unifying the composition with its repetition.

Circa1943. Woodcut and watercolor. 4 %x 13 1/,inches.

Collectionof DeborahM. Sonnenstrahl , Photocredit: Steve Brenner.

CHI ESEBRIDGE, SHANGHAJ 19-16. Waterco lor.

inches. Pri~·ate collectio11 . 22

t 14

D e af

Ar t ist s in

Digitized by

Ameri

Google

c a : Colonia

l to

C ont e mporar

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

y

MY FAMILYHISTORY

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries Expressionism was used to distort nature instead of faithfully imitating nature . Bloch could use this style very capably as shown in this work. Instead of portraits of his family members he shocks our imagina tion by showing destroyed family treasures including a shatter ed family picture, a broken violin case, a doll, and, in the center, a broken baby buggy-a painful memoir of individuals whose lives were lost. MY FAMILYHISTORY

Cirr.a1975- l980 s.

Woodcutblock print,

12

--

x 9 inches.

Gafla11det University,

~~..... -~~~~ ....:::

Washington, DC

•··•r· .

Photocredit: Steve Brenner.

'/'fy

F1t,.,, , l ' ,t','fr-J

..... :.,?'-1..,.&.C:;:;3 ("'V""'-"

~

KNOCK AT MIDNIGHT (DETAJL)

This work shows the night when Bloch's education and career ended in Germany on Kristalnacht - the night of broken glass. Dark spaces force the viewer's attention to the only light source in the extreme corner of the painting. The inhabitants have been jarred awake by the knock. Two blackcoated guards with red Nazi armbands oversee the arrest. One Nazi holds a gun to the back of a victim's head; a second K OCK AT MIDNIGHT (DETAIL)

19 77-1 980. Acrylic on

masonite, 13 x .JB inches. .Private collcclion.

D AV

I D

LUDWI

Digitized by

G

BL

Google

OC

H

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

THE LASTSTOP

victim, barefoot and in pajamas, is shown from the waist down as he is forced down the steps. Two other people look on in horror from inside. We are witnesses to the horrifying scene, as there is no perceived barrier between the figures and the spectator.

1977- 1980. A crylicon masonite, 13 x 48 inches. Privatecollection .

THE I.ASTSTOP

There is no escape for the eye in this emotional work, devoid of people and objects with the exception of a lone guard and the guardhouse in Dachau. The sky is stark dark with white specks stemming from floodlights out of the picture frame. Bloch has wisely used two complementary colors, blue and yellow, that compete against each other for our attention . The perspective of the railroad tracks pulling the spectator to the "last stop." The size and rectangular shape of the Holocaust series works resembles the boxcars used to transport people to the death camps. RECEPTION/DECEPTION

This painting is a chilling work-brittle and crisp in its shades of blue against the stark whiteness of the snow . The work's •· symbols require the viewer to look for them and dwell upon them. What appears to be a reception as indicated by the music played by three skeletal prisoners is really a deception on a walk to death . What appears to be neat rows of newly arrived prisoners is actually a swastika . A few faces, blue with cold and suffering, look up at the mu sicians, puz zled as if the world ha s gone mad . Bloch limited his palette to blu es-a color usuall y link ed with melancholy and death .

Ill

D e af

Ar t ists

Digitized by

in

A m erica

Google

: Co l onia

RECEPTION / DECEPTION

1977-1980 . Acry lic on masonite, 13

x 48 inches.

Privatecoflectio11 .

l

to

Co nt e mporary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

FELIX KOWALEWSKI

1913-1989

EarlyBeloved Art Biographer PORTRAJT OF FELIX KOWALEWSKI

F

n.d. Photograph . elix Kowalewski was a man of many talents I GallaudetUniversity, excelling as an artist, poet, athlete, coach, \Xlashi ngton,DC scholar, and teacher. However, he wished to be remembered not as an artist, despite his moderate success in selling his oil paintings during his lifetime, but as an art teacher. Despite his excellent art, for which he is included in this book, his largest contribution may be the numerous articles he wrote on deaf artists. He interviewed many artists of his day, but unfortunately his interviews are scattered across libraries, archives, and private homes. Kowalewski was born on November 20, 1913, in Brooklyn, New York. He became deaf at seven from a bout of spinal meningitis. Like many deaf New Yorkers he attended the New York School for the Deaf at Fanwood from 1921 to 1932 before the school moved to White Plains. He studied art at the school with Michaelena LeFere Carroll and when the art instructor left for a position as floral illus trator for the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, Kowalewski continued his art studies at the school without an instructor . He won the senior division scholarship in the national soap sculpture contest sponsored by Procter & Gamble. One of the judges was famed sculptor Gutzon Borglum (1867-1941), who created Mount Rushmore. The young Kowal ewski took over th e Palette & Brush Club, helping his classmates le_arn how to paint murals. The teaching bug had bitten

FEL

I X

ANTHONY

Digitized by

Ill

KOWALEWSKI

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

Kowalewski and it never released its hold. Feeling the need for more formalized art instruction, Kowalewski enrolled at New York School of Fine and Applied Arts lnow Parsons) to study anatomy life drawing during his last year at Fanwood 11931-1932). At this school his interest changed from three-dimensional to two-dimensional designs. He graduated as valedictorian. He attended Gallaudet College and graduated in 1937. Gallaudet president Percival Hall arranged to have him study watercolor under Donald Kline in Washington. He also studied at the Washington Art League. During his sophomore year at Gallaudet the students purchased his oil painting of Chapel Hall. Kowalewski also edited several of the Gallaudet publications, published poetry and sports articles in deaf community periodicals, and served as a reporter for the Washington Post. He started to exhibit his watercolors before graduating from the college. In 1934 he exhibited two watercolors, Boats-Concarneau and Loading Bananas-Port Antonio, Jamaica, West Indies, at the famous International Exhibition of Fine and Applied Arts by Deaf Artists at the Roerich Museum, New York. Both of these watercolors were sold on the first day. Kowalewski, following his first calling, became the first deaf art instructor on the East Coast at the West Virginia School for the Deaf in Romney. He taught there for five years 11937-1942).He taught at other schools also, among them Michigan School for the Deaf in Flint Itwo years from 1942 to 1944) and California School for the Deaf in Berkeley lsix years from 1944 tol950). His longest tenure was at the California School for the Deaf in Riverside. He and his family moved to Riverside in 1955 after Kowalewski accepted the position of art and drafting instructor and remained there until his retirement in 1977. During World War II Kowalewski was one of a group of artists selected to sketch miniature portraits of the wives of servicemen. In Riverside Kowalewski's myriad of talents became apparent. He was a wrestling coach for the World Games for the Deaf, a master teacher to teacher trainees from the University of Southern California and California State University, Northridge, an art teacher, a freelance artist, a technical illustrator, a commissioned portrait painter, a playwright, editor of numerous publications, and a member of numerous committees. He continued to exhibit his work while teaching. He showed his pastels Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata and Still Life at the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts in Maryland and Intermezzo, a still life, at the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC. He used a wide

la

Deaf

Arti

Digitized by

s ts

i11

America:

Go ogle

Colonial

to

Contemporary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

gamut of media, including ink, watercolor, pastel, and oil. His favorite subject matters were people, characters, and costume portraits. He was awarded many prizes and has been praised for his exceptional use of line and tone. His knowledge of French was so exceptional that he translated the poetry of Beaudelaire from French. In 1983, he selfpublished You and I, a collection of fifty years of work in verse, translation, and art. In the poem Heart of Silence he wrote about being deaf and standing beneath an elm tree in the rain at sundown, "And always I have listened with empty ears / To all this beauty and stilled the hidden pain/ That surged throughout my silent heart" (Pres-Enterprise, 1989). He died in Riverside, California, on August 10, 1989. A CLOSER

LOOK

Kowalewski enjoyed corresponding with other deaf artists, including Cadwallader Washburn, who provided rich material for his art articles. WORKS CHAPELHALL (1937)

This engaging painting shows a beloved Gallaudet campus landmark, Chapel Hall. This building is well known for its Hall of Fame, where portraits, busts, and photographs of men and women who have contributed to the education and welfare of deaf people are displayed . On December 21, 1965, Interior Secretary Steward L. Udall proclaimed Chapel Hill a historical landmark. Completed in 1870, Chapel Hall is one of the oldest structures on the campus. CHA PELHALL

CHAPEL HALL (1942)

Circa193 7. Oil on canvas,20 x 26 1/,inches GallaudetUnir•ers ity. 1

Washington.DC.

FELI

X

ANTH

Digitized by

O NY

This later work of the same subject reveals how much looser Kowalewski's brush strokes had become . This work shows the influence of Impressionism , but Kowalewski's portfolio varies from one influenc e to other since his style was never consistent . He explored in all mediums as well, dab-

KOWALEWSKI

Google

Original from

■

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

CHAPELHAl L

Waterc olor011paper, 15 x 12 inches . 1942.

Dr. Gilbert Delgado .

bling in oil, watercolor, lithography, ceramics, charcoal , and pastels . NADJA

Kowalewski's daughter Nadja posed for this sculpture . The artist's love for the subject shows through in the work . Her face tilts downward as if she is happily lost in a world filled with love and music. She holds the bow positioned to play and the soft smile on her face anticipates rapture .

NADJA

Firedclay, l O inches La11ra Kowalewski . 1960 .

INTERMEZZO

Intermezzo is a short piece of music per formed between two acts of a play or a movement coming between the major sections of an extended musical work . Kowalew ski gives us a violin at rest as if between acts. The violinist leaves his gloves and the violin bow lying neatly on a table waiting to be us ed. Th ere is an air of solemnity in th is work as th ere is no movem ent . Th ere is an amb ianc e of peace and qu iet . Despite Kowal ewski's deafness he was fascinated by strin ged ins tru ment s.

■ Deaf

Arti

Digitized by

s t s in

America

Google

: Colonial

to

C o nte mp orary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

INTERMEZZO

n.d. Pastelonpaper,

SECRETS

26 ¼x 32 ½inches This elusive painting of two young GallaudetUnivtrsity , dancers sharing Washington , DC secrets between rehearsals reflects Kowalewski's interest in contemplative themes . The figures are wearing tight s- a dancer's costume . The composition is delicately balanced with the brunette's downward gaze and the blonde's upward glance. Each dancer's limbs flow into her partner, moving the compactness of the composition into a gentle oval . The background is filled with short quick brushwork, yet the brushwork is not prominent in the dancers . Th ere is no breaking into their secret world.

SECRETS 1960.

Oil on cam,as,

indm Laurence and Bellyl\'eu1man. 16 x 26 1

FELI

X

AN

Digitized by

TH

ONY

KOWALEWSK

Google

I

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

ROBERTFREIMAN 1917-1997

TheEcstacyof WaterColors SEU-PORTRAJT 194 5. Charcoal,

I

n the early 1960s Sanford Low, Direcs ½x 4 ½inches. tor of the New Britain Institute Art LenoreGolden,Ma,y land. Museum, explained in his announcePhotocredit: SteveBrenner. ment how a work of art earns its rightful acclaim. He wrote, "A picture must be more than good to survive the many constant tests to which it will be subjected before time stamps its final approval. The work of Bob Freiman has a fortunate birthright, traditionally strong and mature, but vitally alive to all that our twentieth century means." Robert Freiman was born deaf in New York City on March 16, 1917, the son of Viennese and Russian parents. At two and a half Freiman was enrolled at the now defunct Wright Oral School, a private school for deaf children in New York City. At the age of six he was transferred to the Lexington School for the Deaf in New York City, where his skill in drawing was noticed. After staying at Lexington for twelve years he transferred to the New York School for the Deaf (Fanwood School), wher e he stayed one year. He learned sign language , but remained an oralist at heart. Later he learned to lip read French as well as Engli sh. Onc e his arti stic abilities were recognized, his par ents hir ed privat e tutor s to work with him aft er school and on we ekends to impro ve his tal ent . Freiman also studied on Saturdays at Th e Ar t Stud ent s' League, Par son s School of Art, and the Part Institut e, all in N ew York.

■ Deaf

Artists

Digitized by

in

America

Google

: C olon

ia l lo

C onte

mporar

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

y

Freiman scored high on college entrance exams but felt the need to study art full time. In 1939 he left the National Academy of Design where he had been studying for four years to learn more by studying with independent artists. Freiman may have felt more comfortable with individual study, which involved one -on-one communication. He studied with prominent artists including Howard Steiger, Robert Brackman 11898-1980), Eliot O'Hara 11890-1969), Jerry Farnsworth, and Wayman Adams 11883-1959). From his early various studies Freiman developed his own style and was constantly experimenting with mixed media in crayon, oil, charcoal, pen and ink, and pencil. He did mostly large seascapes and floras. It was in watercolor, however, that Freiman became a virtuoso . It was customary for Freiman to mix his watercolor with pen and ink-not a normal practice among other watercolorists. He was acclaimed for having "color communication," allowing the pen and ink lines and contours to interact with the colors. His inked outlines would either reinforce or enhance the watercolor forms or vice versa. There were times when he merely color washed the background and created objects with black lines . His work soon attracted the attention of the art world. Tony Sarg 11880-1947), an illustrator of children's books, invited him to his home and served as Freiman's critic/mentor during his early years. Exhibitions of Freiman's work soon followed in art galleries in Boston . He painted landscapes and portraits . He was particular to scenes of the French Riviera, Nantucket, and New York. When asked where he found his emotional output, Freiman would reply that his inspiration was from an "inner voice." He reinforced his art studies by traveling to Europe to study at the Beaux-Arts at Fontainebleau under Lucien Fontanarosa 11912-1975). His important milestone was twice winning first prize awarded by the French Government in 1950 and 1951. In Paris in 1954, Freiman's works could be seen at the Galerie Cardo Matignon . In 1955, returning home triumphant, he was elected a member of the American Water Color Society. Commissions quickly followed and he had numerous exhibitions in both America and Europe. He became known as the Sensitive Eye. There had been very few serious watercolorists in art history since watercolor had long been considered a "toy" compared to the more serious medium of oils . Watercolor was often considered as an intimate art, usually small in scale and done with great freedom and spontaneity. The technique of watercolor occupies a fine line between drawing and painting . Artists have to work quickly since the drying R O B E R T

F R E I \1 A N

Digitized by

Google

Original from

■

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

time is much shorter than for oils. Watercolors are so translucent that the white paper often shows through. Therefore, the watercolorist cannot afford to make mistakes as they are not easily corrected and overworking spoils the characteristic of spontaneity of the watercolor medium. Few artists in art history have mastered the medium. Freiman 1s approach to his watercolor works was his own. The 0 1 Hana Gallery in London which exhibited his watercolors in 1962 called Freiman "probably the best American watercolorist since Marin to be shown in this England-a stronghold of water coloring. 11 It was "inevitable 11 according to the 0 1Hana Gallery that Freiman 11 should excel in his medium that requires vivid perception and technical assurance. Unlike many of his countrymen, Robert Freiman does not force upon himself the compulsion of conceptual painting. Whatever his medium may be-oils or watercolor-he remains within the natural boundaries of lyrical modulations on a theme that is always a discovery of the senses rather than a conclusion of the mind. Even when he pays a furtive tribute to abstraction or to what is called in the USA symbolic realism, the impact of the immediate perception overpowers the infusion of geometrical permutations and cerebral mannerism. His sensitive eye asserts its sovereign rights 11 (Rouve, 1956). Freiman did not adhere himself to the more rigid Academic style, but rather his own style which included Impressionistic brush work. Freiman 1s eye was not his only asset. His captivating personality and reputation helped him gain contacts with powerful and privileged people. He painted portraits of prominent citizens, including college presidents and British rear admirals. Freiman kept a journal that reveals other people that he had either met or painted. They include great names like Picasso, whom he met in St. Paul de Vence in 1961. Picasso autographed Freiman 1s tennis shorts . Freiman, true to his high-spirited character, set his white shorts on a blue background in a gold frame. Freiman stated, "it appears like the wings of a white dove, in blue sky-that1s a symbol of peace. 11 Freiman painted the great American writers James Baldwin, Tennessee Williams, and James Joyce. Freiman also met Georges Braque, who developed Cubism along with Picasso. In 1973 Gallaudet College held an exhibition of fifty-seven works by Freiman in a wide range of mediums from oil, watercolor, and mixed media to pen and ink works. His last exhibition entitled, The Silent World of Robert Freiman: His Paintings and Portraits, was held at the Edward J. Brown and Associates Studio in New York in 1977. He stopped painting in the 1980s when he was stricken with multiple sclerosis . His

IPJ

Deaf

Arti

Digitized by

s ts

in

Ameri

Google

c a : Colonial

to

Contemporary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

paintings can be found in permanent collections of the Boston Fine Arts Museum, the Connecticut Museum at New Britain, the Kenneth Taylor Galleries at Nantucket, and Le Musee Municipal de Saint-Paul de Vence. Felix Kowalewski noted that Freiman spent summers in Nantucket and winters in Saint-Paul in France, and retained a small New York apartment, calling Freiman 11the Artist of Two Worlds" (Kowalewski, 1973). A CLOSER

LOOK

Freiman placed third on Regents examinations supervised by Columbia University when he was nineteen years old, but decided not to pursue further academic education as he felt the need to study his art full time. WORKS

FLOWERMAR.KET, MOSCOW.

Freiman kept a visual, instead of written , journal. FLOWERMARKET,MOSCOW This painting came from his journal drawn during a 198 7. Waterwlor from trip to Moscow. Freiman's strong sense of composiFreiman's ]oumal, 8 x 10 ½inches . tion is evident in the work. L. Nordstrom writes in BarbaraWiifel. Art News (January 1970): "His colors are strong, actPhotocredit : Mark Waldorf ing both as tonality and as movement in space" (quoted in Kawalewski, 1973). The viewer's eye is focused on the simple act of buying flowers through the power of empty white space floating around the V-shaped composition of the bystanders . Freiman conveniently left the same unfinished areas in th e figures to echo the background, tying the image together tightly while the atmosphere remains free.

R O B ER

T

FREIMAN

Digitized by

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

AUPAI.AlSDE FONTENBLUE , PARJS 1989. \Vatmoloron paper.

6 x 8 1/,inches . BarbaraWi,ftl.

AU PALAlSDE FONTENBLUE

This work vibrates with lyricism and tenderness. There is a "joie de vivre" in the paint ing conveyed by Freiman's spontaneous yet controlled brushwork. The building appears to be floating with a wave of blue sky hovering over the area as if passing by momentarily . The brushwork is fluid and sprightly, bursting with the energy of light colors. Nothing is static in this work, particularly blurred figures at the bottom of the scene giving the appearance of an illusion .

AR.BRES A IAJLLOIRES 1990. Watercolor onpaper. 13 x 19 iriches .

BarbaraWirfel. Photocredit:Mark Waldorf

.

Deaf

Arti

Digitized by

s t s i n A m e ri c a : Co l o ni a l to

Google

Con t e m po r ar y

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

ARBRESA IAIUOIRES

In this work, it is the slashing and splashing of paint that gives the trees life and

vitality . There is no hint of hesitancy in the artist's brushwork. The colors make a strong statement and there is no ambiguity. Colors remained rich in all of Freiman's art-they are either hot or cold, never lukewarm.

BUILDINGST. GERMAlN, PARIS

BUILDING ST . GERMAIN.

The viewer feels rather than sees the foundation of the PARIS house as demonstrated through Freiman's controlled 1990. Watercolor onpaper, brushwork. Felix Kowalewski writes in Deaf America 13 x I 8 ½inches. (November 1973): "Although watercolors tend to be BarbaraWiifel. sentimental, Freiman's works are so vibrant, so virile Photo credit : Mark Waldo,f that they never run this danger. Like their creator, they are utterly generous, welcoming, all-embracing . Under a lyrical, tender surface, one feels at once the strong form." The powerful perspective adds to the care-free movement of the work, pulling the spectator's eye to the vanishing point in the middle of the painting .

R OBE

R T

FRE

Digitized by

I MA

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

MAGGIE LEESAYRE 1920-2000

Photographs of the LostRiverCulture

MAGGIE LEE SAYREWITH HERCAMERA. DECATURCOUNTY,TENNESSEE

1987.Photograph by TomRankin. SouthemMediaArchive,SpecialColledions , 1

Universityof Mississippi Libran'es.

S

uppose a woman took pictures of her surroundings only for pleasure and self-satisfaction. After those prints had been stashed away and long forgotten they were discovered and acclaimed as II the savior of the long-disappeared Tennessee River houseboats and culture." It might sound far-fetched, but it happened to Maggie Lee Sayre. Tom Rankin, a highly respected folklorist, had been fascinated by the disappeared fishing culture and its demanding life. In 1982 when he and fellow folklorist Bobby Fulcher came across a well-built but rotting 60-foot houseboat that had been dragged a mile inland they were told that the boat belonged to the family of a deaf woman living in a nearby Decatur County nursing home. When these historians met Sayre at the nursing home she showed them two large, neatly organized scrapbooks. The men were shocked by what they saw . Rankin, a photographer himself, recalls II apart from the beauty and power of the 250 black-and-white photographs, was how carefully Sayre had documented her everyday life" (Walker, 1995 ). Sayre's world was the river . She lived on the river for the majority of her life, absorbing a love and understanding of the river culture. There were approximately 30,000 houseboats, or shantyboats as they are sometimes called, moored on rivers and creeks in the southern part of the United States in the 1930s. However, no written records of this difficult lifestyle were kept, despite its prevalence during and immediately following the Depression.

■ Deaf

Artists

Digitized by

in

America:

Google

C olonial

to

Contem

porary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

Sayre grew up with her father, who fished for a living on the Ohio and Tennessee Rivers, mother, and sister on a river houseboat. A few photos of houseboat living exist, including two by Eudora Welty on the Pearl River and a few others in collections at the Library of Congress and the Tennessee Valley Authority . According to Rankin, "nobody has dealt with it with the breadth that Maggie Lee did. Certainly no participant in that lifestyle ." Sayre produced over 400 pictures documenting the everyday life of her family. She also saved all the negatives . Fulcher remarked upon seeing the photos for the first time at the nursing home, "People who see her pictures today see a kind of life totally different from what they know or can know . Her pictures give the viewer an intimate connection with a time and a people we can't know any other way" (Sayre, 1995). What makes Sayre's photographs so unique is their subject matter. It is very ordinary yet full of beauty. Sayre photographed what was important to her personally and in so doing recorded the daily actives of a people whose existence depended on the river and the seasons. Rankin writes in Deaf Maggie Lee Sayre : Photographs of a Ri ver Life 11995), "Sayre inherited the traditional river life of the upland South, a culture defined by the individualistic spirit of houseboat dwellers who lived apart from those in conventional land-based society. Isolated by choice, the Sayres moved frequently, seeking the ideal river landing. Maggie, unable to hear or speak, was a quiet, yet perceptive participant in the life and work of her parents." Also unique is artistic eye of an artist who had no formal training. It is a mystery how Sayre developed such an eye. She never took a photography or art lesson. In addition , there were no books or magazines on the houseboat. Yet her pictures demonstrate an innate sensation of balance, unity, composition, and pleasing value contrasts that would appear to be based on aesthetic experience. Maggie Lee Sayre was born deaf near Paducah, Kentucky, on April 4, 1920. Her sister, Myrtle, was also born deaf one year prior. Her parents were Archie, a fisherman and farmer, and Mary Sayre. Her father built a SO-footcypress houseboat by hand that was the family's home for fifty years. In a 1987 interview Sayre remembers: "Archie worked slowly, carefully, cutting and hammering, building the boat nice and neat" (Smith, 1987). The houseboat had three rooms where the family slept, cooked, and ate . The Sayres moved up and down the Ohio and Tennessee Rivers, tying along the riverbank whenever they found a good fishing spot. Sayre's father supported his family by catching catfish, buffalo, spoonbill , and carp and selling them by the pound to buyMAG

G I E

L EE

Digitized by

SA

■

Y RE

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

ers from markets in towns like Jackson, Tennessee, or Paducah, Kentucky. As was the situation for many deaf children in the rural South, family members who understood little about their deafness, their needs, or their educational possibilities left the Sayre sisters to themselves. At the urging of a kind local funeral home owner the sisters, seven and eight years old, were sent to the Kentucky School for the Deaf in Danville, where they finally learned to read and write and converse in sign language. It was the first time that Sayre learned that she had a name. The sisters lived on campus during the school year and went home only for the summers to rejoin their parents on the river. Sayre and her sister found it difficult to describe their river lifestyle to their school friends who lived on land. However, they were happy at the school. When the sisters entered the Kentucky School for the Deaf in 1927, there were two different types of classes-manual (finger spelling and sign language) and oral. The Sayre sisters were placed in the manual class. Sayre stayed at the school until 1940, moving from the outdoor world of the houseboat and commercial fishing to a world of friends who could speak her language. Rankin believes that Sayre's experience at the school "enabled her to observe the houseboat life with both the detachment of an outsider and the intimacy of a participant. For a dozen years she spent more time in Danville than on the boat with her parents: this time away surely increased her sensitivity to the mystery found in the day-to-day patterns of river life" (Sayre, 1995). The beginning of Sayre's path to photography occurred in 1930 when the Eastman Kodak Company celebrated their 50th anniversary by giving free cameras to children who turned twelve that year. Myrtle was one of the recipients. When Myrtle died unexpectedly six years later, Sayre inherited the camera. With her constant companion and confidant gone Maggie was almost completely isolated from other deaf people while she was home on the river. No one on the river knew sign language. She began to use the camera almost immediately to record life on the river. The camera became her friend. One of the earliest photographs taken in 1937 is a portrait of her father cleaning a hoop net. By capturing the important net-cleaning activity, Sayre reveals her roles as participant in the family business and as observer. As her father fished and cleaned nets, so did Sayre. She had her own rowboat, she made and repaired trotlines, snag lines and nets, and she cleaned the commercial fishing tackle her father used. She sold the fish she caught and the money she made was hers to spend as she wished. She often used money to buy film and pay for film processing. Because of her parents' illiteracy Sayre became the one in her family

Em

Deaf

Artists

Digitized by

in

America:

Google

Colonial

lo

Contemporary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

who maintained written communication with friends and family and she became bookkeeper for the family business. However, it was not all work on the Sayre houseboat. The home was also a center of activity with community members visiting often, swapping stories , fishing off the porch, or exchanging commercial fishing information . When visitors came, Sayre often took pictures of them. The Sayres did not do much celebrating of birthdays, anniversaries or holidays so Sayre focused on the happy moments including friends and relatives visiting, fish and turtles freshly caught, the simple beauty of the river landscape, and her family. In 1986 Sayre was one of ninety people invited to participate in the Smithsonian Folklife Festival as part of the Tennessee exhibit. The following year she visited Gallaudet University to see the exhibition of her works A Pictorial Narrative of a River Life organized by the Tennessee Folklore Society and cosponsored by Gallaudet's Research Institute and Department of Television, Film and Photography. In 1996 Sayre was honored as the ABC television "Person of the Week." A CLOSER

LOOK

Sayre affixed her name as "Deaf Maggie Lee Sayre," a signature she used to the end of her life . WORKS BUTCHSITTINGUP ON lliE HOUSEBOATPORCH

The viewer's eye falls on the plank, which directs the eye to the main focus of the picture, the Sayre family dog Butch . We see the houseboat porch and to the right wood piled BUTCHSITTING UP ON THE HOUSEBOATPORCH

n.d.Blackand white photograph. SouthemMediaArchive, Special Collect ions, Univers ity of Mississippi Librari es.

M AGG

I E

Digitized by

LEE

SAYRE

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

on a bench to keep it dry in the winter snow . Items reflecting a life on the river such as a broom, ropes, and tools can be seen. The clutter of objects on the left wall offers a pleasant contrast to the soft ripples of the water. VIEW OF THE SAYREHOUSEBOAT

This picture has a natural beauty yet shows the photographer's discriminating eye. The tree at the left gently frames the picture with its outline silhouetted against a light sky. The vertical trunk of the tree balances the vertical lines of the houseboat. VIEW OF THE SAYREHOUSEBOAT

July 1939_Black and whitephotograph. Southern Media Archive , SpecialColfedions, Universityof Mississippi Libraries.

FISH AU READY

Sayre frequently photographed the fish before they were weighed and sold . Fish often were kept in the live box for two or three weeks. This photograph shows Sayre's father with his catch. Again the composition is exceptional. The diagonal line of the oar divides the photograph into two parts-the activity of the still living fish and the stillness of the water. The repetition of the diagonal mov ement as seen in the tying rope unit es the composition.

FISHALLREADY

Circa19-w

Blacka11J1d1i/ephotograph. Southem.\fed,a Anh11•e,S11rcial Collections, L/1111mrty

of,\fi1.,i,11pp1 Lrbranrs .

t'!!J Deaf

Artists

Digitized by

in

America

Google

: Co lonial

to

Co ntem

porar

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

y

CHILDRENAI TOM CREEKIN TENNESSEE

CHILDRE N AI TOM CREEKIN TENNESSEE

Boats and fish were not the only subjects n.d. Blackand whitephotograph . that Sayre found interesting . She was also SouthernMediaArchive,SpecialColledions, captivated by children and photographed Universityof Mississippi Libraries . them often. The children here appear as if they were placed carefully in their positions yet there is an atmosphere of spontaneity. The girl stands somewhat apart from her two brothers as if aware of her seniority and gender. Yet, the soft line of the rope in her hands travels past her brothers and the dog and ends up at the tree. This masterpiece in a natural setting-far removed from civilization. There is a net back in the trees hanging up to dry. PEARLDOTSONVISITING

This touching but candid photograph shows a visitor leaving the Sayre family home. Her father is shown either waving good-bye or touching his hat. The picture is poetic with the boat's inhabitants in the dark and the female figure in the light preparing to go back to her home in Tennessee . The scene appears frozen as reflected in the quiet waters . The dark roof of the houseboat gives the picture a sense of stability and at the same time directs the spectator's eye to the visitor . By the same token, the light diagonal plank directs one's eye to the father, tying all elements together . Sayre explained how she shot this scene: "I was standing on land when I snapped this shot, looking at the boat there . I think it is a good picture."

MAGGIE

Digitized by

LEE

SAYRE

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

PEARLDOTSON VlSITING

Black and white photograph . Southern Media A rchive, Special Collection, 11.d.

Universityof MississippiLibraries.

■ D e af

A rt is t s i n A m e ri c a : Colonial

Digitized by

Google

to

Contempora

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

ry

FREDERICKLAMONTO 1921-1981

NaturalYetAbstract Sculpture '

SEU -PORTRAJT (DESTROYEDBY FIRE)

W

I n.d. Photograph. en he was born in Buffalo, New York, in 1921 it seems that Frederck LaMonto had a pencil in his hand. He drew and drew throughout his St. Mary's School for the Deaf years. The Buffalo Art School where he was awarded a scholarship to study recognized his extraordinary talent. LaMonto moved to California in the winter of 1943. The lifestyle of the sunny state was a tremendous change from his native Buffalo and the novelty seemed to put his talent and art on hold. It was not until he saw the artwork of internationally known deaf artist Morris Broderson (also discussed in this chapter) that his creative fire was rekindled. LaMonto became aware of his deep desire to express himself through a visual medium . He started to paint but local art galleries rejected his work. Feeling the need for further study and encouraged by his father who paid for his tuition, he attended the Hollywood Art Center in 1961 and the Otis Art Institute from 1964 to 1965. LaMonto studied painting under Fred Black, drawing under Joseph Mugnaini, and graphics under Ernest Freed. Slowly, LaMonto began to receive moderate recognition . He exhibited his work at the Otis Art Institute, the Lakewood Art Center, and the Inselwood Art Center. One day he saw a carpenter applying plaster to the wall and inspiration hit him, changing his artistic career. He realized that he had always wanted to be a sculptor. He found that he

FREDERI

Digitized by

C K

LA

MON

Google

T O

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

loved modeling with his hands and seeing images and figures grow into being. In addition, plaster appeared to be a medium with which he could experiment. His first piece was an abstract sculpture, Embrace. His next piece, a powerful composition, The Ten Commandments, sold for $1,000 at his first solo art exhibition in 1971 at the famed Bognar galleries in Los Angeles. LaMonto became acquainted with Mendij, a French artist who was living in Hollywood. Mendij befriended LaMonto and gave him much encouragement and support. Inspired and motivated by Mendij, LaMonto produced a flood of sculptural pieces, approximately fiftyfive pieces within the next two years. He had found his artistic calling and there was no stopping him. Sculptures by LaMonto demonstrate a special style. He studied the works by sculptors before him and evolved their styles into his own. He worked with wood, steel rods, and wire mesh that he covered with layers of his own formula of plaster. The style shows the influence of Swiss sculptor Alberto Giacometti (1901-1966), English sculptor Henry Moore (1898-1986), and famed French sculptor Augustus Rodin (1890-1947). His elongated figures of Adam and Eve and The Three Graces drew on Giacometti. LaMonto attempted to reveal the loneliness of modern man threatened by atomic disaster. Similarly the rounded earth forms of Henry Moore are seen in LaMonto's Leda and the Swan while John the Baptist reflects the sensuous and imaginative style of Rodin. The overall style, however, is entirely LaMonto's. In 1969 LaMonto spent several months touring Europe. It was arranged for LaMonto to study under Marino Marini (1901-1980), a world-famous sculptor in Milan. While there and elsewhere in Europe, LaMonto picked up many interesting ideas, techniques, and variations to further his work. Felix Kowalewski writes in The Deaf American (March, 1971), "LaMonto's work is a product of an intense desire to express himself in an explosive awakening after years of subconscious and slumbering impulses in forms and color. The result is a breathtaking expression of clean lines." In LaMonto's own words during his 1971 interview with Kowalewski, "I look at everything from a viewpoint of interrelated masses in a semi-abstract sculpture. I like to have in my pieces lots of movement, a variation of direction, contrasts of view, color, and shape. I take most of my inspiration from natural human form. I try to give expression to my love of nature and people in symbolic form." His work is exhibited at prestigious art galleries including the Bakersfield Art Center, the San Diego Fine Arts Gallery, and the Long

!.mveaf

Artists

Digitized by

in

America

Go ogle

: Colonial

to

Contemporary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

Beach Museum of Modern Art and through exhibitions including the Barnsdall Art Exhibition, the Redondo Beach Art Exhibition, the Laguna Beach Art Festival (all in California). A CLOSER

LOOK

LaMonto is one of the earliest painter s to use sequential figures as in his Helen Keller's Breakthrough as Thomas Eakins did with his multipl e exposures showing figures in sequential motion. WORKS HELENKEUER'S BREAKTHROUGH

In this painting, the two heads shown for both female figures demonstrate the passage of time . Sullivan puts the young Keller's right hand under a faucet of running water and Keller finally understands the word "water." Sullivan has a soft and slight smile of victory, knowing that the door to language has finally been opened. Keller, filled with the emotion of being able to communicate, throws her head back as if the awakening is too much for her . This work was one of LaMonto's favorites. HELEN KELLER'S BREAKTHROUGH

1961 Oil on canvas, 49 x 37 inches

Dr.and Mrs.Barry L. Griffing, Pocatello, Idaho LADYGODIVA

Lady Godiva is a large sculpture with a bronze finish, accompanied by drawings in casein, litho crayon, and oil. LaMonto's graceful lines and forms are vividly portrayed in this work. The shape of the horse 's head corresponds with the shape of Lady Godiva 's head, developing a bond between them. This bond is repeated in the necks of both figures. This work emits a quiet elegance.

FR

E D ERICK

L AMONTO

Digitized by

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

'

LADYGODIVA

Circa19 74. Plaster with bronze fi nish, 50 x 44 x 16 inches Gerald "Summy"B1m tein, Ri,,erside , Califomia

MATADOR

LaMonto drew his inspiration from Alberto Giacometti (1901-1966), the Swiss sculptor best known for his elongated sculptures. However, the style here, particularly in the sharp angled arms, is LaMonto's own. LaMonto captured the essence of the matador posed for a kill. Kowalewski ( 1971) wrote upon seeing the work , "His work shows a remarkable feeling for form, stripped to the bare elements of basic line and mass, resulting in a pleasing blend of conservative and modern composition." I

MATADOR

Cirr:a19 75. Plasterwithbronze Ji11ish, height 16 inches J\1,:a11d,l\frs. ;\,fichnel Wukndinovic h, Ril'erside . Califomia

am

D eaf

Ar t is t s i n America:

Digitized by

Google

Co l on i a l t o C ont e mporary Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

HENRYNEWMAN 1923-1996

Junk CanBeArt, Toof PORTRAJTOF

HENRYNEWMAN

I

n 1912 Pablo Picasso 11881-1973) shocked n.d. Photograph. the art world with his first collage, Still Collection of Andy and Life with Chair Canning, which included LarryNewman. a real piece of oilcloth printed with a canning pattern glued onto his canvas. Which part of the art piece was painted and which part was collaged? What is painting and what is not? It broke the fine line between reality and illusion in art. The word collage comes from the French word "coll er" which means "to paste." A collage is a work of art made by pasting bits of paper, cloth, or other material onto a flat surface, usually a two-dimensional work. There was one deaf artist who was captivated by this new approach to art. His name was Henry Newman and he made collage his lifetime preoccupation. Newman proudly printed on his calling card the title of "mixed media collage artist." Newman and Picasso were both living in Paris when Picasso's collages moved into assemblages-a three-dimensional counterpart of collages created by joining together pieces or segments and even "found" objects frequently from junkyards that originally served another purpose. Henry Newman was entranced. Picasso's assemblage Bull's Head is composed of the seat and handlebars from an old bicycle, projecting an image of a bull's head . Newman was born in New York City on October 17, 1923, with normal hearing. Soon after his birth, his father moved the family to Paris where they lived until Newman was six years old. His father HENRY

1111

NEWMAN

Digitized by

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

was a designer who "dabbled in art." Newman was taken to museums in Paris at a young age, cultivating his interest in art. When Newman acquired an ear infection at the age of five years he lost much of his hearing and functioned as a hard-of-hearing child. In 1929 he moved back to America for speech therapy at the Lexington School for the Deaf in New York. He learned to lip read and use the phone with his limited hearing. During an interview Newman recollected, "The bright side of this story was that the hearing problem seemed to stimulate my visual perceptions, and finally concentrated my interest in the world of art" (Newman and Newman, 1995 ). Newman did not socialize with deaf people and never learned to sign. He took classes at the Cooper Union School of Art and apprenticed with Morris Davidson (1898-1979), and Peter Busa (19141983 ), who eventually became prominent American artists. In the early seventies Newman traveled to Philadelphia to take a life study drawing course at the Settlement Music School. However, his idols were his contemporaries, Mark Rothko (1903-1970), and Jacques Lipschitz (1891-1973). Rothko is well known for his color field paintings in which his rectangles float above one another in an atmosphere of soft variations in tone, and Lipschitz for his flat solid sculptural work in cubist style. Combine both traditions and one gets the feel of Newman's collages, which are often done in subtle tones and gestures. Newman obtained a job as a designer of textiles whose prints were incorporated into children's pajamas, neckties, blouses, and other pieces of clothing. However, Newman pursued his creativity after work hours. Newman stated during an interview with a Florida art critic in 1987, Although I work in Hebrew motives !motifs) I am not overly religious . But I do believe that God put everyone on this earth for a purpose . My purpose, I feel, is to be an artist" (Jewish exponent). Newman's dedication to his art is evident in the thousands of collages, prints, assemblages, and woodcuts that have been shown in numerous galleries. He gained recognition by appearing in several publications including Life Magazine I1960 issue), and the New York Times supplement in 1967. Silent News featured Newman in an article in the February 1984 issue (Newman and Newman, 1995). Newman limits his depth in his collages to two-dimensions, which is a frequent and natural characteristic of this medium. He varies his focal point with either a centralized point or eliminating it 11

Em

Deaf

Artists

Digitized by

in

Amer

Google

i ca : Colonial

to

Contemporary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

entirely by having elements scatter all over the picture plane. However, when Newman more frequently uses objects that give thickness and depth to a work, then the work is considered an assemblage, for its three-dimensionality. The colors of his objects usually run in the range of browns, creams, grays, and whites . When viewing Newman works the spectator wonders if the work is a painting or a sculpture as in these works there is a fine line dividing the branches of art. At times Newman combined traditional painting techniques with other materials on a canvas. At other times he painted on nontraditional supports such as a sheet of aluminum, changing the definition of what had been usually considered as a painting. When Newman retired in 1983 his art turnout increased. In 1984 he moved to Miami Beach and refined his work. He continued to exhibit and explore the various possibilities of collages and assemblages until his death. A CLOSER

LOOK

Despite his insistence that he was a collage artist, Newman was more of an assemblage artist as most of his creations show three-dimensional objects . WORKS JERUSALEM'SSTORY

n.d. Collageof newsp aper clippingsand oil on canvas, 48 x 48 inches.

Colledion ofA ndy and Larry Neivman.

JERUSALEM'S STORY

In this work cutouts show conquerors of Jerusalem throughout history in their native costumes-in essence, this is a visual history of Jerusalem. The cutouts are laid out on a background of sweeping colors, reflecting the swift changes of Jerusalem. Actual newspapers reflecting the current events of the day are pasted on a background that shows the conflicts among different religions. The blue areas resemble two fists clashing against each other.

H EN

RY

NEWM

Digitized by

A N

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

UNTITLED

1960. Mixrdmedia, 18 1/.x 25 inchts Sidnty and MiriamMoss. Photomdit: Stei-eBrenner.

MENACING FIGURE

1960. Mixedmedia,

29 x 22 inches Sidney and Min"am Moss. Photo credit: Strve Brenner:

Ill

Deaf

Arti

Digitized by

s ts

in

Ameri

Google

c a : Colo

n ial

to

Conte

mporar

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

y

UNTITLED

The oval shape of this work shows the influence of Picasso's Still Life with Chair Canning . Newman probably had seen it in Paris . How ever, the arrangement is Newman's own . His keen sense of balance and design delight the eye . This work tells no particular story, event, or object and can be termed as nonrepresentational art. It is the materials used that take top billing. The spectators find themselves absorbing and analyzing the characteristics of the materials and finding beauty in them. MENACINGFIGURE

Newman "rescued" discarded materials such as wire, pieces of wood, iron bars, screws, and other hardware items and gave them a new life . Since barbed wire fences are threatening objects, Newman gave a new meaning to the word "menacing"-showing the intention to inflict harm by using rocklike and unmalleable materials. The face has a rectangular shape to enhance the hardness of the personality portrayed and the shape is repeated in the ears, hair, and legs. There is no focal point in this work, with scattered dark rectangular shapes, but the work is stabilized with a delicate asymmetrical balance. UPHEAVAL#2

During his lifetime, Newman was disturbed by unstable politics in the Middle East . Civil wars raged in Lebanon, and Israeli jets destroyed an Iraqi nuclear plant near Baghdad. Extremists opposed to his peace treaty with Israel assassinated Egypt's President Anwar Sadat, and there was an attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan. In this work, Newman reinforced his ties with American Abstract Expressionism, which emerged in New York in the 1950s and 1960s. In this style the painters and sculptors expressionistically distorted abstract images with loose, gestural brushwork. In this work, there is extreme agitation or disorder shown by the slashes of brush strokes. The centraliz ed point is being swallowed by the large surrounding white areas, which is symbolic of weakness .

H EN

RY

NEWMA

Digitized by

UPHEAVAL#2

Collageand mixed media,21 x 17 inches 19 8 1.

Sidneyand MiriamMoss. Photocredit:SteveBrenner.

N

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

MASADA

This is possibly the last work Newman completed before his death . Interestingly, the subject is death . In the early days of the Roman Empire Masada was the last stronghold of a group of Jewish people who killed themselves rather then be taken by the Romans. In true Cubistic fashion, a limited palette of browns, grays, and whites were used on a white . background with black . lines . There is no perspective, and the scene is laid out in a flat background . The atmosphere is somber and serene. There is no activity. There is no movement. There is no beginning-only an end .

.

MASADA

1989. Ink, waterc olor,pasted packingpaper on drawing paper,13 x 1O inches Sidneyand Miriam Moss. PhotoCredit : Sttvt Brenner.

■ Deaf

Artists

Digitized by

in

America

Google

: Colonia

l to

Co nt e mporar

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

y

J

I

,

ROLANDO LOPEZDIRUBE

1928-1997

PORTRAIT Of ROLANDOLOPEZDfRUBE

n.d. ColorPhotograph. Mi,iam Zamparelli ,

LoveAffair withMaterials

Guay11 abo, PuertoRico.

iewing Rolando Lopez Dirube's sculpture calls to mind the work of Constantin Brancusi (1876-1957), a Romanian sculptor who went to Paris in 1904, and Henry Moore, an English sculptor . All three sculptors were obsessed with the appearance of the sculptural material, considering it the "lifeblood" of the work. Details were either ignored or eliminated . The spectator is forced to examine closely the characteristics of the materials themselves rather than the subject matter. The material becomes the subject matter. Dirube's work could be viewed as a combat-a struggle between the artist and his materials. Dirube wrote that he enjoyed the challenge of difficult materials, feeling that they provoked him to greater effort and creativity . Dirube also motivates the spectator to examine closely the shape of his sculptural works. His approach changed the perception of sculpture as Branscusi and Moore did years before . Rolando Lopez Dirube was born in Havana , Cuba, in 1928 to a deeply religious family. His father was an attorney and a banker and his mother a housewif e. When he started school in 1935 he became totally deaf from unknown causes. His parents were determined that Dirube would lead a "normal life" in Cuba and he was taught how to read lips . He became such an expert that his deafness sometimes went unnoticed during his youth. However, he humorously recalled, "curiously, inst ead of losing my speech sinc e it is common with deafness, I must conf ess that to my own amaz ement, I nev er learned to shut

V

ROLA

NDO

Digitized by

LOP

EZ

DIRUBE

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

up" (Dirube, 1996). He drew, drew, and drew. He made hundreds of strictly realistic drawings during his primary school years. After graduating from school Dirube enrolled in the College of Engineering and Architecture of the University of Havana in 1947. He fell "passionately in love with the sciences of mathematics and physics," which would prove to be a crucial influence in his later sculptural works (Dirube, 1996). It was a happy time in Dirube's life. He wrote to Albert Einstein and received a reply along with an autographed picture saying "Good luck, my boy." During his studies at the University Dirube began to experiment with oil painting. Dirube's first art exhibition took place at the Lyceum in Havana in 1949. He displayed oil paintings and drawings in an Expressionistic style. Dirube felt the call from New York, where exciting developments were taking place in the art world during the fifties. Since World War II had destroyed the art community in Europe, particularly France, artists had escaped persecution by fleeing to New York. In 1949, only four years after WWil ended, Dirube was allowed to move to New York with the blessing of the Cuban government. With a scholarship from the Cuban-American Cultural Institute he studied drawing at the Art Students League of New York with George Grosz (1893-1959), a German painter and graphic artist who had studied in Paris. Deeply rooted in Expressionism, Grosz used Cubist formulas to show the bitter, savagely satiric style that expressed the disappointment of his generation. Many other scholarships followed, including one given by the Brooklyn Museum Art School. Of his teachers Dirube wrote in a 1996 letter: "Since I didn't know English yet; and besides, I was still as deaf as before, I resolved both problems at the same time in my usual manner: choosing as my teachers Beckman, George Grosz, Jashou Kumiyoshi, and Gabor Peterdi ltwo Germans, one Japanese, and a Hungarian). Thanks to my experience in communicating with handicapped people ["handicapped" as a word was widely used before it became politically incorrect and was replaced by "disabled" in the eighties], I became a star translating my four teachers. Of course, it was more psychic power than lip reading, but I never told anyone." Dirube exhibited at numerous shows. In 1951, in his third individual show, his work reflected his use of other media such as woodcuts in color using new techniques that combined fire with knife and gauge cut. He used gunpowder, gasoline, inflammable gelatin, and acid to get the desired effects. As a result, Dirube raised the level of Cuban graphic art to that already achieved in Cuban painting and

□

Deaf

Artists

Digitized by

in

America:

Google

Color1ial

to

Contemporary

Original from

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

sculpture. He won first prize in painting and first prize in graphic art in the First Exhibition of Latin-American Art organized by the University of Tampa, Florida. In 1951 the Panamerican Union in Washington, DC, selected Dirube for the exhibition of Latin-American Art. In the same year Dirube obtained another scholarship from the Institute of Hispanic Culture and moved to Madrid. He won a prize for woodcut in the First Hispanic-American Biennial in Madrid. He exhibited his woodcuts and large oils showing a greater degree of abstraction in museums all over Spain. He returned home to Havana in the following year, 1952. During the fifties Dirube worked increasingly with sculpture, using his engineering training to experiment with cast concrete. His wood sculpture became more simplified, showing only the conceptual theme. He began a campaign for the architects of Havana to infuse murals and sculptures into their designs. He did four murals for private homes. In 1954 he was invited to exhibit his work at the Galeria Sudamericana's Five Cuban Painters in New York, a well-received show . In 1959 Cuban President Batista escaped to the Dominican Republic and Fidel Castro became premier of Cuba . All of Dirube's works were confiscated, as well as his workshop, his tools, and other possessions, in 1961. Dirube was kidnapped by commandos loyal to the new government and after being tortured was released. Dirube escaped Castro's Cuba and never went back. Dirube moved to the United States, but kept his contacts in Puerto Rico where he had been commissioned to do several works. In 1962 he designed a huge sculpture for the entrance to the City of Silence, a rehabilitation center for deaf children in San Juan . Offers from Puerto Rico continued and Dirube did many murals for private homes and office buildings in Puerto Rico . He became preoccupied with bamboo sculptures, plastics, and wood . The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, The Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Free Library of Philadelphia acquired his works . In 1964 Dirube became co-founder of the first gallery in San Juan. He continued with his artwork. In 1973 he designed a mural composed of clay plaques for the vestibule of One Biscayne Tower in Miami, Florida. In this work, Dirube realized three objectives-simplicity of the element, honesty of the material, and finally repetition. This important work changed our concept of what a mural should be. There is a consistency of texture , size, and color in each plaque, yet the viewer's perception is challenged-as one changes viewing position each plaque appears to be different . In 1974 Dirube left America ROLA

NDO

Digitized by

L OPEZ

DI

Google

RU

B E

Original from

■

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

to live in the Dominican Republic. He moved to Puerto Rico to teach as a visiting art professor at the Art Department of the Interamerican University and it became his final home. Gallaudet University invited Dirube for a solo art exhibition in 1989 and his wood sculpture, Altered Sphere IV, was on a year-long loan to the Gallaudet campus. A CLOSER

LOOK

Dirube never became an American citizen despite his close ties with the United States . However, he studied and worked in America during long periods and wrote English fluently, having spent so much time in the United States and the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico. WORKS AIIlRED SPHEREIV (ESFERAAIIlRADA IV)

What makes this a characteristic Dirube work is the way it divides, redistributes, and creates new forms and spaces carrying an impression that it is waiting to be united. Despite its small size and simplicity each part is so balanced and unusual that it is not quickly understood . In this sense, it is in marked contrast to his easily grasped cast concrete sculptures and murals . Dirube's series of altered spheres is recognized as his most enigmatic and arresting work, adhering to a spirit of economy and demonstrating faithfulness to the materials . At first glance, this work projects an image of an eye ALTEREDSPHEREIV or a foreign object , and no matter how much one CESFERA AITTRADATV) looks at it, it is always alien , always a discovery . Yet, it invit es th e viewer to com e close, touch the pol1975. Mahogany woodand ish ed surfac e, and lose th emselves in the intricate brass. 30 x 16 x 30 %inches tid es of th e wood 's grain and color patterns, or perMuseodeA rteConlernp oraneo hap s follow th e rhythm of encircling and penetrating de PuertoRico.SanJuan. m etal tub es.

■ Deaf

Artists

Digitized by

in

America

Google

: Colonial

to

Conte

mporar

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

y

THELITTLE LABYRINTH

1978. Reinforcedconcreteand wroughtiron sculpture, 2.3 x 9 x 8

meters (400 square meters)Commissionedby the FederalGovernment of the UnitedStates,

S.W. 172nd Street and S.W. 101 st Avtnue,Ptrri11e , Florida . Photo credit: Helen Kansky. THE LITTLE LABYRINTH

Concrete is often considered "ugly," but Dirube never attempted to make concrete something it is not . Instead he imbued it with the capability of arresting, agile, and graceful forms very much like a performance of dance . This work demonstrates a turn toward preoccupation with space and a greater simplification of forms and rhythm . The direction of the blocks and the innate texture of the concrete playing against the wrought iron rings are intriguing. BUTCHER'S TABLE(BLOQUEDEL CAMICEROAIIO )

The different kinds of wood in this work become the main theme. The table is small and stocky and there is no way it could funct ion as a butcher table . Yet, the work projects an atmosphere of honesty, purity and simplicity . The rope at the side of the table establishes a stark contrast between the inflexible character istic of wood and the pliant characteristic of rope.

BUTCHER'S TABLE(BlOQUE

DELCAMICEROALTO)

1994-1996. Mixedwoodsand rope,42 x 20 x 20 inches MiriamZamparelli , SanJuan, P11erto Rico.

R OLANDO

Digitized by

L OPEZ

Google

D I R UB

E

Original from

■

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

BLINDMIRROR(ESPEJOCJEGO)

Dirube did not take himself too seriously and this work reflects that . It is supposed to be a mirror, but there is no reflecting glass-only a round piece of mahogany. Again, Dirube's love affair with materials dominates the work . The work is the definition of simplicity, yet the spectator is drawn to the object by its elegance.

BLIND MIRROR (ESPEJO CIEGO)

n.d. Mahogan y wood, 30 x 30 inches Heirsof Rolando LopezDirobe , Catano, P11e rto Rico.

mJ v eaf

A rt i s t s i11 A m e ri c a : C olon

Digitized by

Google

i al

to

Con t e mporar

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

y

,.

MORRISBRODERSON b.192a

SPIRIT

Is It Real? Realismwitha Twist

1990. Watercolor, 30 x 40 inches. Private colledion.

W:

at makes a painting real? How do we define Realism? This uestion has been thoroughly debated, analyzed, criticized, heorized , and discussed . Art history books define "Realism" as any art in which the goal is to portray forms in the natural world in a highly representational manner or using ordinary people as subject matter. Gustave Courbet (1819-1877), a 19th century French painter, sought to record through his painting what he saw around him. There was no place for angels in his work. He advocated the idea that everyday people and events make worthy subjects for important art and was instrumental in initiating Realism, an art movement that shocked the elite classes who considered only lofty, dignified, and noble subject matters worthy of a place in art . In America just before the World War I, the Eight (a group of eight artists who exhibited in New York and eventually become known the Ash Can school when more artists joined the movement) exhibited in their paintings the rough life of the people of the New York streets. Their paintings showed "worker ghettos, the bawdy of music halls, and the vitality of cheap popular entertainment" (Hughes, 1997). To these eight American painters this is what makes artwork "real," very much like Courbet's French work . Figures may or may not be in exact proportions as the main ingredient was the reality of subject matter. Realistic subjects advocated by the Ash Can school attracted Broderson, but he used a more traditional humanistic approach. MOR

R IS

Digitized by

BR

O DER

SON

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

However, he went a step further by placing these realistic objects in a dreamy or rather unrealistic world, which is characteristic of Surrealism. Broderson adds a twist by putting his objects in a realm without a natural source of light. He paints in his studio with very few, if any, windows to reduce natural light filtering into the studio . He uses artificial lightning in both his studio and his paintings. Broderson has long yearned to reduce reality to essential, even abnormal, and minimal forms that provoke a dreamy or even uncharacteristic world. Since the beginning of his art career, Broderson disliked "perfect bodies" which trace their beginnings to the Italian High Renaissance. He, as only he can, takes liberty in distorting bodies out of proportion, yet retaining their human quality. To understand how he reached this trait a brief account of his early training is needed. Morris Broderson was born deaf on November 4, 1928, in Los Angeles, California. He first learned to express himself through hand gestures and learned sign language at the California School for the Deaf in Berkeley, California, and some speech at other schools in Los Angeles. He started to draw at the age of seven. At fourteen he visited his aunt Joan Ankrum, an art gallery owner. She immediately saw Broderson's artistic gift when he did a pencil sketch of her playing the piano. She gave him a book of Leonardo da Vinci's drawings to inspire him and a copy of Kirnon Nicolaides' The Natural Way to Draw to guide him, which account for his steadfast attachment to humanism. She also encouraged him to study the works of the Old Masters in local museums (Hines, 1980). The following year Broderson entered Francis de Erdely's life drawing class at the Pasadena Museum of Art. The next year, when Broderson was only sixteen, de Erdley was made an associate professor of art at the University of Southern California and convinced the school to grant Broderson admission as a special student. Broderson studied at the University for four happy and producitve years, impressing the teachers with his technically perfect figure drawings. However, like many art students Broderson felt the need to break away from his teachers. He enrolled at the Jepson Art Institute in Los Angeles and studied there for half a year under William Brice and Howard Warshaw. Broderson learned the importance of draftsmanship in the Renaissance and Baroque traditions, which had a lasting effect on his work. Nevertheless, while at Jepson he began to lose enthusiasm for technical anatomical perfection and "ideal" bodies. His new teachers cultivated a strong interest in the Romantic. When the Institute closed he

■ Deaf

Artists

Digitized by

in

America:

Google

Colo11ial

to

Co11temporary Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

began to work alone, experimenting with silk screen and mixed-media techniques, further enhancing his individualistic and nonconformist style. He used watercolor and pencil, pastel and pencil, or all three together. At times, he added coffee grounds to his oils to enhance the texture and used a squeegee instead of a brush to apply watercolor. These methods were temporary. For several years Broderson worked as a janitor at local race tracks and in the darkroom of a photographer while continuing to work on his painting and drawings in oils and watercolors on his own time. He often worked all night and for many years, his health suffered from overwork. At 28, Broderson had his first one-man show at the Dixi Hall Studio in Laguna Beach, California. He then experienced a short period of emotional turmoil and isolated himself from his family and friends and meditated. He did not paint for two years during that time, but he recalls that he "painted in his sleep." When he returned to painting he had a clearer sense of direction and found instant recognition and success. By the age of 35 he had eight shows to his credit. Abstract Expressionism in America was the dominant art movement during the late fifties and early sixties. Broderson did not find abstract or nonobjective art to his liking. The nonrepresentative art was too foreign to his classical training. The avant-garde American artists were using this new movement to convey their emotional content in bold colors and strong value contrasts. Because this art often involved energetic physical movement by the artist, it was also known as Action painting. It did not mesh with Broderson's gentle outlook on the world. Broderson found his niche in a humanistic tradition that had its beginnings in the Italian Renaissance of the 15th century. This approach emphasizes the familiarity of our world. Broderson had a solo exhibition in 1957 at the Stanford Museum of Art that attracted the attention of art biographer MacKinley Helm, who helped Broderson plan an exhibition at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art the following year. Broderson worked in a small house in Hollywood with doors widened to accommodate some of his larger paintings. His work attracted the attention of the national art community at the exhibition "Young America USA 1960" at the Whitney Museum of American Art. One of the paintings from this series, The Rape, won the 1963 Whitney Annual. The painting is one of a series in which Broderson incorporated Kabuki hand gestures. In another work, he showed hands fingerspelling "DOHO-RU-NI" (Nun of the Skull)(title of the painting). The dramatic incident in this MORRIS

Digitized by

■

BRODERSON

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

painting is shown as a trap, where the vanquished victim cannot escape evil warriors and, more implicitly, war. Broderson's Angel and Holy Mary after Leonardo da Vinci (1960) was included in the Hirshhorn Museum's inaugural exhibition in 1975. This work exemplifies his paintings of the 1960s, which were filled with religious themes. Throughout this period his paintings were characterized by sculptural effects, which he obtained by placing static figures against simple backgrounds and modeling their forms through light and shadow. The surreal quality of these isolated figures was further emphasized by his use of multiple views of a single image-not very different from Picasso's simultaneous views of different angles of female figures of the 1930s. The Museum and Sculpture Garden established as part of the Smithsonian Institution eventually housed sixty of Broderson's works. In the midst of the fiery American Abstract Expressionism movement, Broderson's paintings were a breath of fresh air. Broderson admired the movement but it was not for him . He continued to work in the humanistic tradition derived from the Renaissance, which values the familiar forms of mankind and its world . When Broderson's aunt opened the Ankrum Gallery in December 1960 his works attracted much attention. In December 1960 Broderson took the first of many trips to Europe, which broadened his themes. He also took trips to Asia and Mexico. When he returned the following year in 1961 he continued to paint for several years before he opened his own studio in Los Angeles. In his studio Broderson works by the artificial light created by three or four large color-corrected bulbs that emit no light from the yellow part of the spectrum. Broderson differs from other artists in his use of media, preferring watercolor for painting intricate and detailed patterns instead of the more traditional oil, which can be reworked almost indefinitely . His watercolors showed the development of delicate, intricate, and arabesque patterns and colors. He began many of his paintings by drawing in pencil on raw canvas or illustration board, sometimes working on several paintings at once. Diane Casella Hines writes in American Artists (October 1980), "Although Broderson's paintings are realistic in the sense that they are figurative, they are never simply literal recreations. Only rarely does he use a photograph or book as source or reference. These instances usually involve studies of historical figures, such as his paintings of Garcia Lorca and those of the family of Leo Tolstoy. Until very recently, he had never kept sketchbooks

■ Deaf

Artists

Digitized by

in

America

Google

: Colonial

to

Contemporary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

or notebooks of his ideas. However, he has begun to feel it is important to his work and reputation to document the sources of his ideas and inspirations. While he has not kept sketchbooks of ideas, the artist does often work out a plan for a painting through preliminary sketches rendered in soft pencil." Broderson's trip to Japan in 1963 inspired some of his best work. Broderson spent many hours watching Kabuki, the traditional Japanese theater art that uses hand gestures and exaggerated expressions. Broderson found a connection with the Japanese hand gestures since sign language was an important mode of communication for him. He began his Kabuki paintings, a series often marked by tragic mood and forms dissolving into veils of color. In 1966 Broderson became one of the first deaf artists to incorporate the manual alphabet into his paintings. Such paintings include Lizzie 's Dream (1966), Lament for Ignacio Sanchez II (1966), and Tribute to Winslow Homer (1968). Since the mid-1970s Broderson's work has become less introspective and a different theme and style have emerged. Brilliant clear color, rich textures, and intricate patterns have replaced previous soft and muted tones and sculptural massiveness. Harry G. Lang and Bonnie Meath-Lang wrote in 1995: "Broderson is quick to point out that his deafness is not the reason for the unique expression in his art. He has great feeling for the universality of certain human experiences. Some critics have argued, however, that the beautiful world of his paintings comes from a very separate inner world of Broderson." WORKS NUN OFTHESKULL(DOKO-RU-ND

This painting is based on an ancient Kalubi legend in which a beautiful nun is raped and her child killed. The doomed nun holds the NUN OF THE SKULL (DOKO-RU-ND

1964. Oil on canvas, 48 x 52 inches

PalmerMuseumof Art, Penn State University,University Park, Pennsyl1ania. 1

M O RRI

S

Digitized by

B R O D E R SON

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

child's skull. The face of the nun is missing, which adds to the mystery of the work. Instead there is manual hand-spelled alphabet used by deaf people running through the face and behind her head. The hand spells the title of the painting . Broderson cleverly places the letter 11 0 11 where the eyes might be. The red background , a color often associated with blood and death, adds to the misery of the theme. This work effectively both annoys and satisfies the viewer, but for reasons that are not explicit or clear. ALLEGORY

ALLEGORY 1974. Oil on canvas,

60 x 48 inches LewisMahoney.Bakersfield, Califomia .

This is the artist's personal interpretation of the Annunciation . This has been a favorite theme of artists since medieval times, but Broderson gives it a new twist. Instead of shrinking with fear as per tradition , Broderson's Mary stands tall with open arms. The Christ Child is shown as a healthy and handsome boy who has not yet been born-his feet are hidden inside Mary's body. Broderson is fascinated by the rich details of fabrics that include the rendering of a wide variety of textures, from the embroidery on the robe to the intricate veining of the marble behind the figure and on th e column.

MEMORIES

Painted when he was sixty-one years old, this work reflects the artist's memories of his own life. One figure is surrounded by images including a picture of Broderson's grandmoth er and moth er in th eir youth . Th e figure stands in his or her own world in which special effects and lin ear drawings m erge into constructional objects. William E. Steadman , Dir ector of th e University Mu seum of Art in Tucson, Arizona, wrote eloquently of Broderson in 1975: "Even th ough he rejected the academic teachin g of th e art schools, he still att ended them as if he wished to submit him self, however, briefly, to th eir discipline ."

mJ veaf

A rt i s t s i n A m e rica

Digitized by

Google

: Co l o n i al

to

C ontempo

rar y

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

MEMORIES

1989. Oilon canvas, 48 x 36 inches.

Collectionof the arlisl.

ELIAND FRIENDS

This painting depicts a child with his toy rabbit, subjects that appear in many of Broderson's paintings. The rabbit expresses the artist's affinity with children. The colors are fresh, befitting a young figure. The light seems unreal and artificial as if in a make-believe world. There is no light source to be seen. The child's face is expressionless, as if he is uncertain of the fate of his beloved toy. EU AND FRIENDS

1990.Oilon canvas, 36 x 3 6 inches.

Collectionof the artist.

M O R R I S

B R ODE

Digitized by

R SON

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

LOUISFRANCISXAVIERFRISINO b.1934

SELF-PORTRAIT

fl.d.ink, sizeuflknoum.

DeafJohnJamesAudubon

Collectionof the a,tist. Photocredit: SteveBreT1 ner.

merican painting has been known for its Realism, particularly in the 18th and 19th centuries, when European artists were already exploring new frontiers in various mediums and techniques. American artists held on to the representational world longer than artists in any other country in the modern world. It was not until the 20th century that American artists shook off the yolk of Realism and investigated the realm of their perceptions, emotions, and psychological outlook. Some artists, however, did not march to the new drum. They preferred the material world as an end in itself. Louis Frisino belongs to this group. Like the illustrious American artist John James Audubon (1785-1851), whose realistic and representational watercolor paintings of birds are well known to most Americans, Frisino devoted his life to the study of birds, wildlife, and dogs. Unlike Audubon, who killed birds in order to study them, Frisino studied the animals in their natural habitats, requiring much more patience and stamina. Frisino was born deaf in Baltimore, Maryland, on January 26, 1934, in an era when it was customary to encourage deaf people to pursue more sensible and secure careers than art . However, Frisino's love of dogs and wildlif e was too deep to be ignored and he continued to develop his talent as an artist. Frisino began his education at St. Francis Xavier School for th e Deaf in 193 7 and was transferred to the Maryland School for th e Deaf in Frederick seve n years later. He gradu-

A

■ Deaf

Artists

Digitized by

in

America:

Google

Co lonial

to

Conte

mporary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

ated in 1953. He studied art at the Maryland Institute College of Art during the evening. This was his first formal art training. He graduated in 1959 with honors, winning the coveted Peabody Award for excellence in art. Frisino took classes without interpreters; he watched his instructors diligently and carefully honed his observation skills while his drawing became stronger than ever. When done with his studies Frisino found employment as a commercial artist at the now defunct Baltimore News American, where he worked for twenty-five years. And at the same time he pursed a private artistic career. He retired from the News American when he was only fourty-four years old so he could devote all of his time to art. Outdoor scenes and wildlife are painted with incredible realism in Frisino's works. He still keeps his faithful camera and binoculars close by. His daughter Elaine remembers her father repeatedly pulling his car to the side of the road to watch a hawk in flight. Frisino also works from photographs to capture the characteristics of an animal. Elaine states: "He's likely to stop anywhere he sees a subject that could be good for painting" (Guy, 1989). Frisino uses a white background in a subtle tone so the subject itself is centered and emphasized. Watercolors, acrylics, and oils are Frisino's favorite media, but he also combines watercolor with opaque tempera for different effects and textures in different lights. While still working full time Frisino exhibited in art shows all along the eastern seaboard, winning many important awards, including second place in the National Turkey Federation contest in 1977 and first place in the Maryland Duck Stamp contest three times in 1976-1977, 1986-1987 and 1993-1994. At Maryland's first Trout Stamp contest in 1977, the winner was Frisino with his watercolor Brown Trout. He continued to capture first place in this contest for three consecutive years. Feeling that it was a strong probability that Frisino would win every year, the officials of the Maryland competition devised a new rule that a winning artist would not be eligible to submit entries for three years. In 1985 Frisino was awarded second place of the Marie Conway Memorial Purchase Award. In 1986, 1988, and 1991 he won first place in the Ward Foundation World Championship Wildfowl Painting Competition in Salisbury, Maryland. He also was selected in the top ten of the Federal Duck Stamp judging several times, capturing third, fourth, sixth, and tenth places. Frisino had successes outside his home state, winning first in the North Carolina Sportsman License Stamp contest in 1987, New Jersey Duck Stamp in 1987, North Dakota Duck and Trout LOUIS

FKA

Digitized by

NC

I~

XAVIER

Google

FRISINO

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

Stamps both in 1988, North Carolina Duck Stamp in 1989, New Hampshire Duck Stamp in 1994, and Delaware Duck Stamp in 1994-1995. In all, Frisino captured first place eighteen times in state competitions . Frisino's work has been featured widely in wildlife publications. He did forty-five drawings of different fish for the 1970 edition of Fishing in Maryland. His work was also featured in the Spring 1972 issue of North American Decoys, and in Tom Cofield's book The Fisherman's Guide to North America. The National Wildlife Federation used Frisino's paintings on Christmas cards in 1976 and 1977 as did Gallaudet University in 1996. Frisino does not limit his art to fish, fowl, hunting dogs, and other animals in rural settings. He is also in great demand as a portraitist. One of his best works in portraiture is Dr. David Denton, formerly the superintendent of the Maryland School for the Deaf. Frisino's realist and perfectionist tendencies apply to his portraits. "They must be perfect" mused Frisino (2002). He uses a mirror to ensure that facial features are in alignment. However, the wildlife of the Chesapeake Bay marshes holds a special place in Frisino's heart. He discovered the area when he visited his aunt as a toddler and makes trips to the Eastern Shore at every opportunity. When asked if his deafness had any influence on his art Frisino insisted: "My deafness is an asset so I can't be distracted by noise. I could concentrate on my art without any interruptions" (Frisino, 1999). Like John James Audubon who worked 150 years ago, Frisino brings the world of animals and wildlife to our doorstep. A CLOSER

LOOK

Despite the demand for his work, Frisino finds it difficult to part with his original paintings and they occupy every space on his studio walls. WORKS ON TiiE ALERT

Frisino's keen power of observation is apparent in this painting. The spectator is startled to see a deer, yet the spectator is drawn to the animal's glance. The graceful curved ears of the deer offer a contrast against the diagonal movement of the barren trees in the background, which makes a strong statement. RING-BILLEDGULLS

The Ward Museum purchased this painting for the Ward Foundation Sponsor Series. Frisino's academic training is shown in the strong and stable composition.

E!!Jveaf

Artists

Digitized by

in

America

Go ogle

: Colonial

to

Contemporary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

The artist wisely places the first seagull on the fence post facing the viewer and the three others turn inward balancing the composition . The fifth flying seagull in the right upper comer prevents one's eye from wandering off the picture . The mood is still and peaceful as emphasized by the strong vertical and horizontal movement of the fence. However, the picture avoids tension with the soft curves of the birds.

ON THE ALERT

1985. Acryliconpaper, 20 x 30 inchts.

Private Colledion .

RI G-BILLED GU LLS

1989. Acrylic011 board, 24 x 36 i11 ches. 1986 Man·e Conway Memorialrteipient . Collrdionof the WardM11seum of WildfowlArl, Salisbury U11iversity , Salisbury, Maryland.

L O UI

S

FR

Digitized by

ANC

I S

XAV

Google

I E R

F R I S INO

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

RESTINGWHISTLING SWANS

1991. Acrylic, 7 x 10 inches. Sam and MarjorieSonnenstrahl.

RESTINGWHISTLJNGSWANS

This work captured second place in the 1991-92 Maryland Migratory Waterfowl Stamp Design Contest . Two swans, one sitting and one standing offer a glimpse of a harmonious scene. Their similar profiles enclose the swans in a circle of friendship although the standing swan stares to its right and his sitting mate looks ahead . An awareness of each other is suggested by the echoed curved shapes. The contours of the swans are rendered sharply, realistically, and concisely. The clearly detailed feathers tempt the viewer to touch the painting. These realistic details offer a contrast to the hazy and undefined soft ripples of the water. The overall effect is tranquil and peaceful . GAZING PIG

Regardless of whether one is a pig lover, this painting puts the viewer under its spell . The pig smugly looks out of his pen with his forelegs on the top of the fence for support.

GAZING PIG I 998.

Oil on masonite, 9 x 12 inches. Collection of theartist. Photocredit : Sttvt Brenner.

■ Deaf

A rt ists

Digitized by

in

Ameri

Google

c a : Colonia

l to

Conte

mp o rar y

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

DANIELWANG b.1937

DANIEL WANG

EastMeetsWest

I 995.

ColorPhotograph. Collectionof theartist. PhotoCredit :Mr. ZhangMin.

I

n order to appreciate fully the spirituality of Daniel Wang's art one must turn to the roots of Far Eastern art. We must not expect realistic portraits of landscapes or postcards of scenic areas from Eastern artists . Chinese artists did not go out in the open to paint as "open-air" American and French painters did throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. They, unlike their Western compatriots, did not sit down in front of some motif and draw it. Highly respected art historian E. H. Gombrich writes of Chines artists in his Story of Art (1995): "They even learned their art by a strange method of meditation and concentration in which they first acquired skill 'in how to paint pine trees,' 'how to paint rocks,' 'how to paint clouds,' by studying not nature but the works of renowned masters . It was the ambition of these Chinese masters to acquire such a facility in the handling of brush and ink that they could write down their vision while their inspiration was still fresh" from their walks in nature. Eastern artists would observe the world around them and absorb the characteristics of nature into their minds and souls. They also would write a few lines of poetry and paint a picture on the same scroll of silk. The Chinese believe it childish to look for realistic details in pictures and compare them with the real world. What they want from the viewer is to find the artist's innate enthusiasm. In studying Chinese art works one senses the patience involved in the DANIEL

WANG

Digitized by

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

creation of the graceful calligraphic lines that characterize Chinese art. Gromich continues, "there is something wonderful in this restraint of Chinese art, in its deliberate limitation to a few simple motifs of nature." The art of Japan developed out of Chinese art. When Europeans and Americans first saw Japanese art in the middle of 19th century they were enthralled by its beauty. French artists were particularly excited by the possibilities of increasing and enhancing their existing styles by incorporating Japanese influences. Techniques of cropping off figures at the edges of picture planes or scenes created from a bird's or a worm's view were eagerly utilized by French painters who were tired of the strict academic regulations set by the French Academy . However, these French and American painters remained basically "Westernized" in their outlook in terms of perspective, themes, costumes, and motifs. Not Daniel Wang. Wang retained the Far Eastern style despite his eventual American residency. Daniel Wang was born deaf in Shanghai, China, on April 30, 1937. His parents recognized his artistic talent and hired a private tutor when he was a child. His tutor was amazed how quickly he learned the techniques of applying watercolors on rice paper and had Wang study ancient art. Wang had his first exhibition at the age of twelve in Hong Kong, where he and his family had immigrated following the Communist takeover of mainland China. By age eighteen, he had studied Chinese brush painting with several well-known artists including the legendary Chao Shao-An and had already mastered the Japanese-influenced Lingnan style. Lingnan style refers to the new national painting of China spearheaded by political rebel-artist Gao Jiatu, who, along with others, attempted to overthrow the emperor in order to establish a republic around 1911. This art combined the local style with elements of Western and Japanese realist painting. Wang obtained a job as a commercial artist, but found the field too confining in scope and creativity. He eventually decided to devote all of his efforts to painting. Although Wang depends mostly on the methods and materials of traditional Chinese painting, he expanded his techniques to various methods that are entirely his own. One of these techniques is applying paint to the palm of his hand which he then rubs on the paper. Wang explains this technique: "It makes me feel closer to my work and gives a deeper sense of my own inner emotions." Wang has used oil-a Western medium-but prefers the rigid discipline of watercolor on rice paper . As a true Chinese artist he says:

B

Deaf

Artist

Digitized by

s in

America

Go ogle

: Colonial

to

Contemporary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

"For fifteen years I worked in oils, but oil painting is like painting on a wall. You just throw it on. If you want to change a color, you add another layer. Ink on paper is much more difficult to control. It has to be right the first time" (1998). He became an American citizen when he moved to Hawaii in 1977 and makes his home in Honolulu, but has not forgotten his Asian roots. He made a trip to Shanghai, Beijing, and other cities in 1997 and another in June 1999 to refresh his memory of Chinese and Japanese art techniques. Like the Chinese masters before him, Wang paints nature, but his works are drawn from memory. His works have a poetic quality-in true Chinese fashion-showing a world somewhere between reality and fantasy. His favorite motifs are gushing waterfalls, romantic moonlit nights, singing birds, patient fishermen, and flowers. Exhibitions of his work have been held in Hawaii, Hong Kong, San Francisco, Canada, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, and Singapore, receiving widespread recognition. WORKS

FAMJlY

FAMILY

1989.

This charming painting of a monkey family reveals an Eastern approach to painting, which limits itself to the essen tials. Wang uses a brush with ink to outline the monkeys on a tree branch against empty space. There is a delightful contrast of line seen in the straight contours of the monkey tails against the curving lines of the tree branches .

Watercolor on ricepaper, 2 0 x 40 inches . GallaudetUniversity , Washington , DC

D A NI

EL

Digitized by

II

WANG

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

NOSIAlGJC YEARNING

1995. Waterc oloron ricepaper, 1Jx 17 inches. Privatecollection.

NOSIAlGIC YEARNING

The forms in this work do not seem to create a clear definition. They are blurry as if in a dream. A solitary figure stands in the midst of a cloud-like atmosphere . Wang has managed to balance imagination with realistic forms in limited palette of colors.

■ Deaf

Artists

Digitized by

in

America

Google

: Colonial

to

Contemporary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

ENDURANCEOF LIFE

The restraint of Chinese art has universal appeal. People are intrigued by the deliberate limitation to a few simple motifs. In this painting Wang demonstrates the infinity of life. There is no beginning or end. The tall bamboo trees frame the work and gently lead the eye past the undulating line of the boats to the vanishing point in the background . The waterfall never ceases to pour water into the river or lake . No matter what happens , life, as represented by the waterfall, endures . ENDURANCE OF LIFE

n.d. Waterco loron n·cepaper, 24 x 36 inchrs.

Colledion of the artist.

D ANIE

L

WANG

Digitized by

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

FLYINGFISH

This painting gives an idea of the patient observation that must have gone into Wang's study of his animal subjects . Again, the Chinese love of graceful curves is evident in this work. The fish appears to be flying among the flowers but they do not make any clear symmetrical pattern, a trait frequently found in Chinese art . FLY ING FISH

n.d. Watercolor on ricepaptr, 20 x 30 inches

Pri11att colltdion.

De a f

A rt ist s in

Digitized by

America:

Google

Co l onial

lo

Co nt em p o r a r y

Original from

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

DAVIDHOCKNEY b.1937

~

~«;;~£® ,, I

'

-

~,

, .......

( ■ PORTRAJTOF

DAVIDHOCKNEY

by Charles Wildbank 1978. Acrylicon Canvas,

DeafnessandSpace

Dip Tech , 48 x 96 inches, CharlesWildbank,New York.

f all the contemporary deaf artists in this book, David Hockney is probably the best known. Hockney is one of the most versatile artists in history. He has produced work in almost every medium, painting, drawing, stage design, photography, and printmaking, breaking down the barriers imposed by characteristics of each medium. In addition, he "tells it like it is" regarding his perception of life, preferred sexual lifestyle, and deafness-before those issues became fashionable-through numerous books and articles. Hockney's early work borrowed gay themes and popular ·icons to create an original style. He quickly captured the public's attention by bleaching his dark hair a peroxided blonde and wearing colorful glasses and a gold jacket. He held the public mesmerized. Hockney has lived in America for the past thirty years, mostly in California. David Hockney was born with normal hearing in Bradford, England, in 1937-the fourth child of a loving family with five children. The Hackneys were poor, but not deprived. Hockney's parents, particularly his father, saw to it that he was exposed to culture, taking him to theaters, movies, and operas. He lived all his childhood in Bradford and attended local schools. His artistic talent was recognized early and he won minor prizes with caricatures and drawings that were published in a school magazine. In 1953 Hockney began his four -year study at the Bradford School of Art, studying art theory, anatomy, perspective, life drawing, and painting. He did well and an early paint -

0

DAVID

HOCKNEY

Digitized by

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

ing was accepted by the Royal Academy Summer School in London. Graduating with honors, he became a hospital worker with the National Health Services. He was accepted to the Royal College of Art and graduated in 1961, winning the Life Drawing Prize. While a student Hockney exhibited his work and gained recognition from the London public. The dominant art style in London was Pop Art. This new art movement originated in London and achieved wide popularity in the United Sates. It began in the 1950s with the Independent Group of artists and intellectuals. They were fascinated by the impact of American mass media that had filtered into England since the end of World War II. Pop was short for "popular," which denotes the utilization of popular items of the day like comic strips, movies, commercial design, nudes, cheap decor, and appliances. The Pop Art style would eventually make an impact on Hockney's work. Immediately after graduating from the Royal College of Art Hockney traveled to New York City, where the Museum of Modern Art purchased two of his etchings for The Rake's Progress, a popular opera by Igor Stravinsky. Upon returning to his native England Hockney developed a profitable relationship with the Kasmin Gallery, which bought all of his work done during his Royal College of Art days. He taught briefly at London's Maidstone College of Art in 1962 and continued to teach sporadically throughout his life. However, he never regarded himself as a teacher. Hockney traveled to Italy and Germany. In 1963 he took a trip to Egypt working for the Sunday Times magazine, producing around forty drawings that were never published. In the same year he flew to New York, where he met Andy Warhol (1928-1988), the American Pop artist who gained fame with his Campbell's soup and Marilyn Monroe silk screens. The trip to California changed Hockney's life. He wrote in his 1993 autobiography, "I instinctively knew that I was going to like it [Los Angeles]. As I flew over San Bernardino and looked down-and saw the swimming pools and the houses ...and the sun. I was more thrilled than I've been arriving at any other city." He moved permanently to Los Angeles in 1964 and taught at the University of Iowa that summer. He had his first American show at the Alan Gallery in New York City, where he received a positive reaction and review. His works done in America reveal a more fluid, edge-to-edge style that is the result of Hockney's discovery of acrylic paints . The intensity of color and speed of drying suited his growing interest in "capturing the moment."

■ Deaf

Artist

Digitized by

s in

America

Google

: Co lonial

to

Co ntemporary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

In 1965 Hockney was offered a year-long teaching position at a university in Boulder, Colorado. His art style saw a change, too. He began to work in color, changing from his previous sketchy characters as seen in The Rake's Progress.During this time he started his now wellknown series of swimming pool paintings. His work remained narrative, but was placed in carefully premeditated and aesthetically sophisticated compositions. His favorite subjects were landscapes, portraits, still lifes, interiors, and genre scenes associated with the jet-set world. Hockney returned to Europe in 1973 and stayed in Paris for two years. He produced a series of highly worked academic portraits of his friends as well as experimenting with some new printing techniques . He devoted himself entirely to drawing and printmaking. His reputation further grew with his retrospective exhibition at the Musee des Arts Decoratifs in 1974. Hockney did not limit himself to painting . He designed stage sets and costumes for an English production and taught at University of California in Los Angeles. In his personal life Hockney became more open about his homosexuality. He writes frankly in his autobiography about his relationships, both rewarding and failed, with other men. Hockney also began to lose his hearing, but ignored it until 1979 when it could not be denied any longer. He first became aware of his loss of hearing when he was spending a week teaching at the San Francisco Art Institute. He realized he could not hear the people at the back of the room at all. He had a difficult time understanding female students as they tended to speak softer. It was easy to deny deafness when working in a studio or talking with people in close quarters. According to Hockney it was a coincidence that he was working on flat spatial effects when he realized he was going deaf. Perhaps, though, his subconscious was at work. Hockney became engrossed with spatial flatness during this period, producing works that reflected his deaf experience. His A Walk Around the Hotel Courtyard, Acatlan (1985) entices the spectator to wander aimlessly in the space of the painting. This might be how Hockney felt a deaf person would experience a world composed mostly of people who hear perfectly. He began to avoid his former pleasures including the opera, large dinners, noisy restaurants, and large gatherings. He began to use two hearing aids and explored other deaf artists' works, particularly those of Francisco de Goya. Hockney (1993) writes of Goya: "Goya became deaf, stone deaf. All those screaming people in Goya's late work are actually silent-must have been silent to him:

DAVID

IIOCKN[Y

Digitized by

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

those mouths that scream weren't heard, just seen. I might study Goya from that point of view because, naturally, it fascinates me, given my own condition." Invitations came to Hockney to join deaforiented organizations and attend important events, including honorary membership in the famed Deaf Way International Conference and Festival in July 1989 at Gallaudet University. Hockney turned down the invitation, feeling he was not physically or mentally ready for the "deaf world." In the 1980s Hockney bought a house on Montcalm Avenue in Hollywood Hills-a house he had rented with his lover. He became introspective, and more aware of his age as indicated by a series of self-portraits. Hockney writes in his 1993 biography: "As I go deafer, I tend to retreat into myself, as deaf people do .... " (p. 161). His features in these self-portraits become more distorted with time. In 1985 he became intrigued by computer graphic-drawing programs and temporarily suspended his painting. In 1985 and 1988 there were major retrospectives of his works at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Tate Gallery in London. One of his latest works, Snail Space (1997), involves painting as performance. The spectator sits on a bench at the National Museum of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, and watches light move on two canvases attached to a wall. The floor is a collection of interlocking, canvascovered, and painted masonite shapes. The purpose of such a work is to demonstrate Hockney's belief that we see space not from a distance but from our position within it. We alone create space as we move through it. While experiencing this work, the distance between ourselves and the work dissolves as we become part of the magical performance in which Hockney casts form, color, and light as his actors. The movement divides itself into four parts: prologue, climax, resolution, and epilogue. It is a symphony for the eyes, a drama in nine minutes without sound-fitting for Hockney's deafness. A CLOSER

LOOK

Paradoxically, despite the love Hockney has for America and his permanent United States residency he has not become an American citizen. He is considered one of England's greatest contemporary artists. However, his work, life, inspirations, and themes are characteristically American and art critics call him the "painter of California ."

Em

Deaf

Artists

Digitized by

in

America:

Google

C olonial

to

C ontemporary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

WORKS

I

', /' .

WATERPOURING INTO

.•' ( \

WATERPOURINGINTOA SWIMMING POOL,SANTAMONICA

The pool was a favorite subject of Hockney in glorifying the pleasure of the Southern California lifestyle. No SANTAMONICA human figure can be seen in this work. It gives the 1964 (published 196sJ. spectator a place between the timeless and the instantaLithograph, printedin color. neous, contrasting the static white wall of an empty composition 18 ''.I, , x swimming pool with the active water pouring in varied 2 4 'I. inches. ways. The four different spouts and water flows are JosephG. Mayer carefully captured and studied. We are caught between Foundation Fund, reality and illusion. All four types of pouring water are a single color, forcing the spectator to analyze the form ThrMuseumof ModemArt, of the flow. The pale, smooth, spiraling blue stream on New York. the left side is painted in monochrome whereas the right stream has a short splash at the edge of the work. A third stream shown on the lower left is thin and weak. The fourth spout rising from the bottom of the image is the most powerful in terms of thickness of the stream. The spectator remains detached from the painting. Hockney began the work by drawing the basic lines of the composition, applied the paint with a paint roller, and gave each area two or three layers. A SWIMMING POOl

DAVID

HOCKNEY

Digitized by

Google

Original from

■

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

IOWA

IOWA

Hockney became an ardent fan of Picas so and even made an etching of himself sitting across the table from Picasso . When Hockney came to California and Iowa to teach in 1964 he incorporated many Cubist elements in his work. In this work, Hockney reduces th e forms to bulky, geometric shap es akin to Cezanne's geometric shap es. However, Hockney leaves th e sky bare white to emphasize the heavy weight of the clouds . Th e colors are also limited. In this painting, Hockn ey succeeds in communicating h is int erpretation of the st ereotypical vision of th ese regions of Am erica.

1964. Acrylicon canvas , 60 x 60 inches

HirshhomMuseumand SculpturtGarden , SmithsonianInstitution, Washington , DC

KERBYCAFTER HOGARTH)USEFUL KNOWLEDGE

Hockn ey wri tes in his 1993 book, That' s th e Way I See It, th at thi s painting "is the result of th e research I did (for the opera) on Hogarth ... .I got th e idea from a satirical

■ Deaf

Ar t is t s i n A m erica:

Digitized by

Google

Co l onial

to

C onte

mporar

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

y

KERBY(AfTIR HOGARTH) USEFUL KNOWLEDGE 19 75. Oil 011canvas,

F7 i

-

:: •

6feet x 60feet, ¼inches .

Giftof thearlist, ]. Kasmin, and theAdvisoryCommittee Fund, TheM use11 m of Modem Ari, New York.

frontispiece Hogarth created for an 18th-century treatise on perspective. The treatise was published in 1754 and popularized by Hogarth's friend Joshua Kirby, whose name I misremembered when I did my picture." Hockney became captivated by the whimsical feeling in the work of William Hogarth (1697-1764), an English engraver and painter. Hockney continues "You could see what it was about, how Hogarth meant it: if you did not know the rules of perspective, ghastly errors like this would occur. But I was attracted by what Hogarth thought were the ghastly errors and I thought I also saw that they created space just as well, if not better, than the correct perspec tive he was praising" (pp. 29--30). For example, the trees in the background should decrease in size and the fisherman is smaller than the man in the window lighting his pipe from a candle, whereas it should be the opposite. In all, it is a most illogical work, yet one does get the feeling of perspective despite the "errors ." MULHOLLANDDRNE : THEROAD TO THE STUDIO

When Hockney was living in the Hollywood Hills he drove every day on the same road from his house to his studio. This familiar road provided the artist the shifting perspective which reinforced his sense of space as relative, subjective, and dynamic. He writes in his 1993 autobiography, "I became fascinated by all these wiggly lines and they began to enter the paintings. From the hills, Los Angeles is a completely different experience . In fact, th ese pictures are more realistic than you might think. When you look at the painting and Driv e is not the name of the road, but the act of driving- your eye moves around th e painting at about the same speed as a car drives along the road." Hockney continues, "The spectator wanders in the space. You are a lonely figure. Aren't we all? In th e last few years I have been lonely. The only creatures close to me who are very warm are my dachshunds, though it might

DAVID

HO

Digitized by

C K N EY

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

seem that I'm surrounded by people . It is partly due to the deafness : it isolates you . What I cannot do any more is go to many concerts. I can't hear background music at all: I have never particularly liked it. This painting is not about a road, but about an attitude to space. At the same time as you acknowledg e the spaces outside, you are still moving round in it . The longer you look, th e more spatial it gets ." This work is a spatial illusion with no living souls . Bright colors are rem iniscent of the work of Henri Matisse (1869-1954) , a French painter who used bright colors to communicate his joy in bold pattern and motif and was a leader in the art movement Fauvism.

Em veaf

Ar t ists

Digitized by

ill

America

Google

: Colonial

MULHOLLANDDRM : THE ROADTO THE STUDIO

1980.Acrylic 011canvas, 86 x 243 inches. Purchased withfundsprovided by thef Patrick B11rn s beques t, LosA11geles County Museumof Ari.

to

Conte

m p orary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

WILLIAMSPARKS b.1937

Sought-After PortraitPainter I

SELF-PORTRAJT

I 985. Oil 011canvas, 24 x 36 inches. lliam Sparks is a rarity. Unlike many "struggling artists,,, Sparks Collectio11 of the a,tist. became one of the most admired realist portrait painters in America almost immediately upon launching his career. William Sparks was born in Carbon Hill, Alabama, on September 13, 1937. He lost his hearing at the age of three. When asked how he became interested in art, Sparks responded, "I believe I was born with the ability to paint, and becoming deaf increased my interest in drawing as a means of communication" (Peterson, 1981). He attended the Alabama School for the Deaf in Talladega. He improved his artistic skill and was awarded a five-year scholarship, during which time he studied portrait art with Lemuel McDaniel, an outstanding portrait painter from Birmingham. After graduating from the School in 1958 Sparks obtained a position as a commercial artist in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He worked for fifteen years as a technical illustrator at Western Electric-a job that Sparks found too confining . One day Sparks made a bold decision. He decided to leave the security of the job to devote himself completely to portrait painting. A key to Sparks' success as a portraitist may be his approach to his sitters. Despite his deafness, he makes his sitters comfortable by permitting them to wander around his studio, watch television, or even talk to his wife and his children while he studies their facial

W:

WILL

I AM

Digitized by

SPAR

fll

KS

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

expressions and captures the right colors for their complexion. As the sitters open up and carry on normal conversations and activities they reflect their inner characteristics and personalities. Sparks paints his sitters barefoot regardless of their position in society, giving the portraits a touch of humanity. Realistic portrait painting requires uncanny skill and only a handful of artists make a living specializing in such portraits. It is different from landscape painting, where an artist can take liberties with the actual scene. A portrait is a very personal thing. In order to make a living as a portrait painter the artist must please his or her clients, yet adhere to his or her principles. Sparks manages to balance the quality of art and the personality of the sitters. His portraits appear uncluttered, giving an impression of elegance. In this respect Sparks is often compared with the American portraitist John Singer Sargent (1856-1925). Art historians consider Sargent a master in portrait painting . Sargent, however, has one advantage over Sparks as he lived before the popularity of photography as art and thus when painted portraits were uniquely suited to meet a demand. Sparks like Sargent had a gift for posing his wealthy subjects in natural poses, bringing them to life. When Sparks was asked if he searched for the inner person behind the skin or rather the "veil," he answered, "If there was a veil, I should paint the veil. I can paint only what I see and Sargent does the same" (Peterson, 1981). Sparks found himself inundated with clients and has a long waiting list stretching from two to four years. He has exhibited extensively in the southeast including Winston-Salem, North Carolina; Atlanta, Georgia; Wilson, North Carolina; Pine Hurst, North Carolina; Birmingham, Alabama; Chattanooga, Tennessee; Palm Beach, Florida; Huntsville, Alabama; Talladega, Alabama; and Washington, DC. He is the recipient of several awards including the first prize in the Portrait Art Show in Birmingham, Alabama, first prize in the Winston-Salem Art Festival, and the Amos Kendall Award by Gallaudet University Alumni. When asked which artist he most admires, Sparks understandably answers Norman Rockwell (1894-1978), who achieved fame from his Saturday Evening Post magazine covers. Like Sparks, Rockwell painted realistic portraits of ordinary people as well as prominent people with a close observation of details. The crucial aspect of Spark's ability is bringing out the inner personality of his sitters by his extraordinary skill in working with eyes and hands, something many artists find difficult. Sparks is considered one of America's leading portrait painters .

■ D eaf

Artist

Digitized by

s in

A m erica

Google

: Co lonial

to

Co nt e mporary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

A CLOSER

LOOK

Sparks prefers to work with Ala Prima, a brand of oil paint that requires quick execution as it dries fast. Painting with Ala Prima is exhausting for Sparks, who works from four to six hours on a painting measuring 36 by 48 inches . Sparks does not recommend this medium for amateur artists. WORKS BATHDOU IN REDPAJL 1974. Oilon canva s, 30

x 24 inches .

AndreaDowswell,Talladega, Alabama.

BATHDOU IN REDPAJL

This charming portrait of Sparks' daughter bathing her doll in a red pail reflects Sparks' ability to capture people of all ages and characters . The child looks up at the artist as if he had interrupted her at play. There is no pretense in her flowing blond hair and gazing eyes. There is no background to distract the viewer's eye from the girl. An atmosphere of serenity envelops her, which is an excellent example of Sparks' style. There is no agitated movement in Sparks' work. His brush strokes are more felt than seen. The subject is placed on an asymmetrically balanced composition forming a "c" of flowing movement initiating with the hair, through the arms, and finally to the doll in the pail. PROFESSORGUSTINUS AMBROSI

Sparks captured the engaging temperament of a man who takes pride in his work. Ambrosi (1893- 1975). was an eminent Austrian sculptor who did portraits of numerous notables. He was known to be a loner-so in love with his work that he had a sign tacked to his door, "If you love me, let me work." The strong arms of the sculptor, the result of many years of hard work, are not lost on the viewer.

WI

L LI

AM

Digitized by

S P AR

K S

Google

Original from

■

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

PROFESSORGUSTI US AMBROSI

1981. Oil on canvas, 28 x 24 inches .

GallaudetUnil)('rsity , Washington , DC.

DR. FREDERJCKC SCHRJEBER

In this powerful portrait, Sparks emphasized the "man of all seasons" quality of a renowned leader of the deaf community . Schreiber was a multi talent ed individual and Sparks puts him in different brownish poses representing a variety of activities.

DR FREDERICKC

SCHRIEBfR 198.J.

Oilon cam as, 1

4-l x 3 7 inches

l\'ationnll h sociallonof the DrafSd,•erSp1111g , A1nrvla11d.

D e af

A rti s t s in

Digitized by

Ameri

Google

c a , Co l onial

to

Con t e mp orar

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

y

Schreiber was described as brilliant, articulate, aggressive, and yet sensitive and blessed with a gift of humor and warmth . We see him here in front of a microphone testifying before Congress as he retained his speech after losing his hearing at the age of thirteen. In the upper right comer Schreiber is shown as a writer composing articles on the rights of deaf people. In the bottom left comer Schreiber is seen enjoying one of his jokes . Schreiber served on countless advisory boards, which accounts for his pose in the bottom right corner . In the middle of the painting the subject is in full color posing as the Executive Director of the National Association of the Deaf-a post he was elected to in 1966. At the time of his unexpected death on September 5, 1979, Schreiber had engineered the NAD into a fully solvent and powerful consumer organization. The solidity of the main central figure in the painting gives the work a powerful symmetrical balance. LADYAT PIANO

This portrait of a distinguished Atlanta society lady ties Sparks with Sargent. Like Sargent, Sparks painted this figure in her natural surroundings. She does not look at the artist, but aside as if quietly contented. Her right hand touches her pearl necklace and her left hand fondly touches the piano keys, which give statement to her status in society. The background remains inconspicuous with the exception of the pulled back window curtain, which allows a soft light to fall on her delicate face and impeccably coiffured hair. Sparks demonstrates his skill in LADY ATPIANO painting textures as shown in the red shawl, where Circa7985. Oil on canvas brush strokes are more prominent than usual, high36 x 48 inches. lighting the folds . The delicate lace collar contrasts with the heavy shawl, but the long black dress gives Collection~ftheartist. the needed weight to offset the bulky weight of the shawl. The blank music sheet appears again here, as it does in the work of many deaf artists includ ed in this book. Th e rectangular grayish blanks echo the piano keyboard, giving the work an overall sense of stability.

WILLI

AM

Digitized by

SPARKS

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

JAMES CANNING b.1942

0

ToBeOrNot ToBe Deaf

I

SELF-PORTRAIT

n.d. Ink sketch. Colledionof theartist.

en an artist becomes deaf after acquiring language he or he usually makes a dramatic change in lifestyle. Canning as lived a large part of his life in the "hearing world, 11 which has exercised a tremendous influence on his work. He knows what is like to hear, yet it is beyond his reach to go back to this world. Canning reveals the emotions of his nightmares, dreams, frustrations, dissatisfactions, and disappointments in his art . Paintings by Canning demonstrate the refined creativity of his imagination and thoughts. Canning's work pulls the spectator into his current world and its ramifications. He paints with crystal clear images and there are no ambiguous objects, yet the message is still difficult to grasp, which is the backbone characteristic of Surrealism. The Surrealists artists were interested in psychic experience influenced by Freud. James Canning was born in Arlington, West Virginia, on October 20, 1942. The Canning family, parents, two older sisters, and James, moved to Pennsylvania when James was very young. Canning was born hearing and was educated in the public school system . He lost all hearing abruptly at the age of eight. Yet, he continued his public school education, eventually attending Adelphi University in New York, where he majored in chemistry. His life changed when he took a required art class. He believed he had found his calling and began to draw and paint intensively. Canning left Adelphi after two years but continued to educate himself at public libraries, where he read voraciously.

W:

■ Dea f

Arti

Digitized by

.1t s in

America

Google

: Co lonial

to

C ont e mporary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

In 1965, Canning moved to Rhode Island and took courses in illus-

tration at the Rhode Island School of Design. His works were exhibited in summer shows and he also had a solo exhibition. He gave a presentation, A Local Artist, at the Rhode Island School of Design as part of a series intended to publicize local artists. Canning's contribution was praised by the faculty. According to Canning the positive reinforcement was "a huge boost." Canning describes this stage in his development: "The first paintings, made with most confidence, are the best. As time went on, the paintings became more complicated and less satisfying to produce. I was and am an extremely nit-picking perfectionist. I did keep producing until I returned to college at the ripe old age of 46, to try again for the degree I missed out on in the 1960s" (Canning, 1998). Canning views the sixties and seventies as the lowest point in his life. He became melancholy and dispirited . Canning, in his October 25, 2000, e-mail message to the author writes: "I had severe problems with depression and moodiness. I was emotionally quite unstable, very lonely and could not get a job or apparently hold one for long. I pretty much bobbed around the ocean." However, he did manage to get into photography and pursued it very intensely for several years, learning black and white and color photofinishing, which accounts for the polished colors in his later paintings . Canning believes that his tendency for precise realism, modeling, and light and shade might have originated with his interest in photography. In addition, Canning lost one eye from a chemical accident in 1959 that changed his perception of objects and thus he became more aware of objects in greater depth. This is evident in his paintings, which demonstrate his grasp of well-defined perspective. In 1988 Canning met Tom Willard, the founder of the now defunct Deaf Artists of America organization, who informed him of the opportunities offered at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). Upon learning of this school, Canning moved to Rochester and became a full-time student, first studying painting and then switching to illustration after two years. He obtained a BFA in paintingillustration, graduating with honors in 1993. However, this experience left Canning more lost and bewildered. He recalls: "I hadn't realized what a full-time job a college education could be. Nor that the ways of teaching painting were so far removed from what drove my own output. Nor that people, even myself, can change so much. Within two years as a painting major, I was barely producing at all. A few pictures date from this time. Contact with other artists was very JAME

S

CAN

Digitized by

N I NG

Go ogle

Original from

■

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

restricted by my severe hearing impairment. I was scratching around rather helplessly. Paintings done during this time are quite lifeless. The creativity is still there. I don't believe it ever dies; only disappears and reappears as one's life, conviction, and spirituality lead it" !Canning, 1998). When asked if the deaf art movement affected his art, Canning said in 1995 at the Deaf Artists' Exhibit, A Perspective of Deaf Culture Through Art: "I am not too sure about a separate genre of Deaf art. Deafness obviously sometimes influences my work. Sometimes there is scarcely a trace of any attitudes and beliefs caused by deafness. These works all come from the same person-myself-and I am at no time deliberately thinking of expressing deafness in my art. I see my work as coming from the person under the deafness. It depends on how much influence deafness has had on the concepts I am presenting in the painting" !Willard, 1990). Despite his ambivalent attitude concerning the influence of his deafness, Canning remains clear about his work. Canning sees his best work as compositions of emotion, similar to a musical composition; organized in a way beyond the logical and producing something truly holistic . Canning attempts to show conflict and tension, wonderment, and contentment. The variety of objects and relationships represented in the paintings come from his personal associations, but the imagery is entirely his own . Canning realizes that his art developed in response to a creative person's need for expression, sometimes difficult for someone who is deaf. Almost fifty years of silence has made the transformation of "I feel" to "I see" facile, so that his work has a compelling quality like a deeply felt emotion. External inspiration for his works is frequently found in literature. Canning compares his painting to the work of the late English poet, Thomas Sterns Eliot. The mediums are different, but the discontinuous merging of ideas is very similar. Canning continues to live in Rochester, and is still searching for his identity. He says, "Academic painting instruction felt totally different from what inspired me to paint in the first place. I still have this drifting uncertainty. At RIT/NTID I discovered sculpture, and still make clay or plaster things now and then. I learned to play the tenor sax at NTID, and after a year or two, discovered I could tune the instrument by feel alone. That helped convince me that deafness had cut me off from something I would have been extremely happy with. Nowadays, I 'practice' computer art, make wood stuff ... and try to figure out who and what I am" (Canning, 2000).

■ Deaf

Arti

Digitized by

s t s in

America

Google

: C olonial

to

C ontemporary

Original from

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

A CLOSER

LOOK

Canning discovered Surrealism during his 1960 field trip to the Museum of Modern Art in New York and it became "a magnet , an open door." However, one of the characteristics of Surrealism is that the artworks do not need to have any meaning and do not need to make sense . Canning writes , "/ always disagreed with this and took pains to make m eaningful free associations with my paintings. There was always a central, strong idea , and I would let the pict ure grow out from that by feeling and mental associations ." Canning always finds it frustrating that people see his work in different ways. He adds, "Sure, it was naive , I did want to find some kind of universal language " (Canning, 2000). WORKS

THEANGELS,OR CONFRONTATION

THE ANGELS, OR

This enigmatic work presents Canning's ability to transCONFRONTAIION fer imagery from his head to actual artwork . The scene 1983- 1986 Oil on canvas , shows a confrontation betw een Heaven and Hell or good 14 x 30 inches . and bad. The figure with his back to the viewer is Satan . Private collection . He has a cage for lost souls he has claimed. Souls are shown as birds. The soul trapp ed in th e cage has evolved and is beginning to show human characteristics. Satan was on his way "home" to Hell, as indicated by the swampy surroundings in the bottom background .

JAM

ES

CANN

Digitized by

I NG

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

However, God represented by the watchful eye, sends an angel to confront Satan and prevent his return to Hell with the trapped soul. Tension is building with Satan's hands at the angel's chest as he refuses to give up the soul . The angel with somewhat tousled hair looks frightened and directly at the viewer as if begging for assistance, but acts firmly on the will of God. There are no answers, and the results are not clear. Grotesque animals on the left represent an irrational, mean kind of spirit . They seem to be a combination of cats and rats and appear in many of Canning's works . To Canning these animals are not evil and they do accompany or guard one, unless they are kicked. Canning decided that these rat-like animals are most like instincts, which are powerful and helpful, but can cause trouble if they are allowed too much freedom, a contradiction reminiscent of Surrealism. Canning 's strong composition skills cannot be ignored. The soft arc of the angel's wings completes the circle initiated by the light behind his head. The light, although artificial, emits soft shadows on both the angel and the devil . Colors are monochromatic representing an unnatural world. The sword held by the angel separates the human figures from the animal figures. The vertical sticks, probably dead trees, lead the viewer's eye to the allknowing eye of God. CANTATA

Canning describes this painting, "There is obvious symbolism in the closed window through which the little boy can see but not hear, see fascinating things he can never reach because the window can never be opened. The boy is about the same age as I was when I became deaf, which is eight ." Canning explains the title, "The title of the painting refers to a form of religious music which I have no memory of ever hearing . A close friend who saw the work when it was nearly done, remarked it 'made him feel like a Bach Cantata "' (Willard, 1990). •

D e af

Ar ti s t s i n A m e ri c a : Co l on i al

Digitized by

Google

CANTATA

1985- 1986. 0,/ on canvas, 32 x 42 inches Natio11al Technical Institute for the Deaf Rochester, NewYork .

l o Co ntemporary Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

Outside the distorted window is a haunting futuristic environment, and the scene behind the boy is of a more simple time when he could hear . The landscape is a sweep from the past !left) through the present (center) to the future (right). The influence of Surrealism is apparent in this work as it defies logical representation of the window. How is the window supported? How could the boy be trapped in the window if there is no back wall? Yet, the objects are precisely rendered as in other Surrealist paintings, including Salvador Dali's (1904-1989) Persistence of Memory and Rene Magritte's (1898-1968) Les Promenades d'Euclid. Mystery engulfs these works as well as Cantata . The colors are subdued with the exception of the red rose, which offers hope. Nothing moves and stillness envelops the work, which reinforces the quiet world. THE TEMPIATIONOF ST.JIM

This double self-portrait shows the artist looking to the left instead ofdirectly at the spectator. The artist in human form carries a frightened expression as if a tragic incident were visible on the horizon . His portrait in bird form reveals the same concern, however more stoically . According to Canning this painting is not deafness-related . He writes, "This painting was intended to permit an outburst of feelings of frustration and confinement . At the time I painted it I was having serious troubles with a chronic health problem. Look over the painting awhile and find the little image that represents reality, myself brushing an annoying branch away from my face. Reality has been almost overwhelmed by danger and anxiety . The symbolism implies a threat to the mind (birdlike thing), body (white beast emerging from belly) and soul (self-worshipful monkish figure on the right). Some people feel the gesture hand near the ear shows an effort to hear something . This was never once in my mind during the entire time I worked on this pictur e. As I saw it, my hand is attempting THE TEMPTAT ION OF ST JIM

Circa1986 Oil 011ca11vas, 41 ~ x ."i5 'I, inches

Privatecollectio11.

J AMES

CANN

Digitized by

I NG

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

to brush the bird's wing away, to prevent the wing from blindfolding me." Canning adds: "I see the bird as a threat of being suffocated, deafened, blinded, numbed, and everything. Coming from behind it necessarily covers the ear(s) first" ICanning, 2000). A protective fairy, Glinda the Good, Dorothy's protector from the Wizard of Oz makes her appearance. Her hair is red, making her more human and attainable. There is a hint of symbolism in the long-tailed animals at the figure's feet . They have appeared in almost every painting by Canning . Canning sees them as symbols of instinct, ugly and beautiful/powerful at the same time . They are protective and strong when respected for themselves, but dangerous if mistreated or ignored.

mJveaf

Arti

Digitized by

s t s in

Ameri

Google

c a : Colonial

lo

Contemporary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

,

I

ROBERTBAARDPETERSON b.1943

Simplicity Is the SoulofArt

ROBERTPETERSON

1991. Photogr aph by CharlesRushton. Colledion of the artist.

fter being exposed to Abstract Expressionism in the fifties and sixties people longed for representational art depicting identifiable objects to which they could relate and understand immediately and intimately. Peterson is considered as one of the most original painters of the Southwest. He is a figurative artist with an interest in showing common objects and realistic scenes. However, he differs from Andy Warhol, who popularized silkscreened likenesses of Campbell's soup cans and Marilyn Monroe. Peterson focuses on objects easily forgotten such as abandoned railroad signals, empty oil drums, concrete sewer pipes, or a crate of eggs-items not as easily defined as "popular" objects. Peterson's primary interest is in presenting the abstract qualities-the light, space, and form of the object. When asked to define his art, Peterson replied that he has "always responded to sculpture, ancient and modern and I incorporate in-the-round characteristics of sculpture into my paintings." He continues, "the clarity of form must be such that one has the impression of seeing it on all sides once, as if it were made on a transparency instead of metal" (Armitage, 1996). Peterson reduces objects to their basic forms, removing them from or exaggerating their relationships to their natural environments of light and shadow . Peterson captures the innate characteristics of the object instead of merely copying the object. Like French Impressionist Claude Monet, born a hundred years before Peterson, Peterson

A

ROB

E RT

Digitized by

B AA

RD

PETE

Google

R SON

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

studies his objects carefully and diligently. The difference between Monet and Peterson, however, is that Monet was fascinated with the play of light on objects while Peterson's fascination is with the objects themselves. Gussie Fauntleroy writes of his work with eggs, "Clean, white eggs. Peterson has held them so long in his gaze, felt their essence penetrate his fingertips where pastel touches paper, absorbed their eggness for such timeless hours and days that what emerges on the paper in front of him is more than a simple representation of eggs. It is the paradox of something so flawlessly solid and physical that the immaterial and eternal radiate from within it" (Fauntleroy, 1998a). Born in Elmhurst, Illinois, on July 5, 1943, to hearing parents Peterson became deaf after an illness at the age of four. While hospitalized for one year in Chicago with rheumatic fever he amused himself by drawing what he could see out a window that faced Lake Michigan . His family moved to New Mexico when Peterson was eight years old. New Mexico put a spell on him that he was never able to shake off. The state eventually became his permanent home. He attended public schools in Albuquerque, but found them difficult due to the lack of understanding toward his deafness so he was transferred to New Mexico School for the Deaf in Santa Fe. He enrolled at Gallaudet University in 1960 but stayed for only two years. It was during his Gallaudet years that Peterson saw Ansel Adams' (1902-1984) photograph set in New Mexico, Moonlight over Hernandez, and the work of Georgia O'Keeffe. He acknowledged that both artists touched his heart and thus he knew where he belonged. It was not in Washington, DC. Although he did study art at Gallaudet and at the University of New Mexico, he is mostly self-taught. His line drawings evolved into toned drawings, then oil paintings. Eventually Peterson returned to drawing and moved from there to pastels. He became a full-time artist at age twenty-seven in 1970. Serene, silent, and quiet are terms often used to describe Peterson's paintings. He "reinvents" the reality of his objects. One of the main characteristics of his work is an attention to detail without excessive cluttering. He pares his subjects down to essentials that are overlooked by others, enhancing their balance and beauty . This approach gives mundane subjects an air of majesty. The viewers are left wondering how such an ordinary object achieved such an atmosphere of royalty.

■ D eaf

A rti s t s in

Digitized by

A meri

Google

c a : Co l o nial

lo

Co 11/emporary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

Mannes writes in her biography of Peterson, "As his style developed, his works became increasingly simplified in both shape and color. By distilling an object to its basic form, removing it from-or exaggerating its relationship to-its natural environment, and dramatizing the effects of light and shadow, Peterson concentrates on capturing the essence of the object itself. In most of his works since the early 1970s color is minimized. Peterson's later subjects (fruits, plain red bricks, and cardboard boxes) have reached a new degree of simplicity. Peterson's exploration of opposites, such as darks and lights and voids and solids, was extended to color and texture." Mannes continues, "His works are the epitome of a rationally ordered world, but the brilliance of his light and the clarity of his air give his subjects an other-worldly aura. His paintings are not only about things but about the element of time as well. In the tradition of many American painters (such as the 19th century luminists John Kensett and Frederick Church, or Edward Hopper of this century), space and light have a content of their own. The intensity of Peterson's light gives his objects a universality and permanence. He has stated that painting is 'especially adapted to deal with the ambiguity and flux of life. Such is existence that even to be rational can be absurd'" (Mannes, 1987). Peterson has exhibited extensively and received a number of purchase prize awards. His works are represented in private, corporate, and museum collections, including the Museum of New Mexico. He was selected for numerous exhibitions in museums all over the country, including the Knoxville Museum of Art in Tennessee, Mint Museum in Charlotte, North Carolina, American Academy of Arts and Letters in New York, Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown, Ohio, Albuquerque Museum, Evansville Museum of Arts and Science in Indiana, and Museum of Fine Arts in Santa Fe. Museums and business firms have purchased his works and he has been recognized in numerous art magazines. He is becoming known in the art world as a leading contemporary still life artist. A CLOSER

LOOK

Peterson reads intensively on Eastern religion and philosophy as he searches for a deeper understanding of the nature of life. Peterson says the numerous hours he spends in front of his easel is his way of mediating .

ROBERT

BAARD

Digitized by

PETERSON

Google

Original from

■

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

WORKS THREEPIPES

1977- 1978. Oil on li11tn , 30 ¾x 39 ¼inches Colltdion of thearti5t.

THREEPIPES

Despite the "lowly" subject, the three pipes acquire a majestic and lofty appearance. They appear dignified . The largest half-pipe stands proudly against the clear sky. It appears to be protective of the two smaller pipes . The two smaller pipes are positioned against the neutral ground of the southwest . Peterson goes straight to the essence of the pipes themselves and does not simply use imitative realism. The spectator is drawn to the abstract qualities of the pipes which Peterson has manipulated to create his composition . FOUR CHERRIES

Four cherries are positioned against a subtle background . There are no other objects in the work. The thin undulating stems from the cherries stabilize the painting. The painting emits a feeling of ''planning" in the strategic positions of the objects, yet there is an atmosphere of tranquillity and peace . The cherries have a life of their own, yet there is no sense of time . The shadows of the cherries bring th e spectator back to the reality of a mat erialistic world . Peterson always paint s from life and almost always works on one painting at a time, allowing him to focus completely on his subjects .

fOUR Cl IERRIL

1988. Pastel, 29,; 19 inches, Jeraldand ,\1arv \ le/berg .

■ Dea f

A rti

Digitized by

s t s i n Am e rica

Google

: C o l on i al

t o C ont

e mporary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

REDONION

REDONION

The shape of the red onion is static yet one feels the life in this modest and unassuming vegetable. One notices its proud shape and its aroma can almost be smelled. Like all of Peterson's paintings of vegetables and fruits found in the kitchen, this onion projects an image of elegance.

1991. Pastelon paper. Collection ofJohnand SandraCummings .

LEMONSAND A STAINLESSBOWL

Gussie Fauntleroy (1998b) states that Peterson "always paints from life and almost always works on one painting at a time . This focus, he says, allows him to absorb the subject to the point of transcending it." Fauntleroy continues, "His artmaking is also a strongly tactile experience. As his fingertips rub pastel, in saturated colors, into the paper, it is almost like sculpting the image, he says, 'as if you're working in clay'. He covers every inch of paper with the pastel, leaving nothing bare . The result is a sense of completeness that is forever as they are, needing nothing ."

LEMONS ANDA STAINLESS BOWL

1993 Pastel, 19 1/,x 26 %inches

RoyL. Reardon , New York

ROBERT

BAARD

Digitized by

■

PETERSON

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

CLAIREHABERBERGMAN b.1944

SELF-PORTRAIT

LessIs More

1999. Ink, 9 :,:12 inches. Collection of the artist. Photo credit:Ste11e Brenner.

I

n the fifties and sixties American Abstract Expressionism had taken a stronghold on American art, particularly in New York. Within Bergman's sight and reach were powerful works of art by Jackson Pollock (1912-1956), Willem de Kooning (born 1904), Mark Rothko, and others who worked in New York. The Abstract Expressionism movement welcomed emotional freedom, artistic license, and the ability to break the traditional rules of painting. In short, art became completely free. After all, it was the aftermath of the Second World War, when Americans felt the relief of deflecting a serious threat to civilization . American painters turned to their art to express their deepest feelings. Art historians often divide American Abstract Expressionism into two groups: Action painting and Color Field painting. Action painting reflects the attitude of the day, revealing movement in figures and picture elements. Color Field painting focuses on the characteristics of colors. It was in such a world that the young Bergman lived. Claire Haber Bergman was born deaf in New York City on August 14, 1944, to artistic parents . Bergman had known she would become an artist at the age of nine when her mother enrolled her in a pastel still life class and a nude-model drawing class at the Art Students League in Manhattan. Bergman loved the pastel still life class, but avoided the nude class out of shyness . Mrs . Haber insisted that her daughter attend the class despite her young age. Bergman had no choice, but she drew very

■ Deaf

Artists

Digitized by

in

America

Google

: Co l onial

to

Con temporary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

small figures on a large sheet of paper and her instructor told her to draw larger. Bergman says, "this experience served me well in later years" (Bergman, 1996). Bergman's parents took their young daughter to Europe to see the masterpieces at the Louvre and in Italy's museums. Back home Bergman was encouraged to visit the Guggenheim Museum and the Museum of Modern Art in New York where she was exposed to contemporary art of the day. Her parents enrolled her at the Wright Oral School from 1947 through 1958. She entered Washington Irving High School in New York (graduating in 1961), where she won an art scholarship to New York University. She received a congratulatory letter from the White House . However, she decided to study at the Pratt Institute in New York instead from 1961 to 1964. Like many deaf artists before her Bergman studied at the Art Students League on Saturdays. While there she came under the influence of Thomas Fogarty, who specialized in figure drawing. Bergman writes "at the Pratt Institute I had many great teachers, from all of whom I learned a great .deal and who were very patient with me, making sure that I understood them. However, my mother had the greatest influence on me due to her excellent taste in art and antiques and trips to museums in Europe. If it was not for her, I would not have developed as an artist" (Bergman, 1998). In her third year at Pratt Bergman's work matured. Bergman began to win many awards including a "Naddy," the National Association of the Deaf's Award for Excellence in Cultural Achievement in 1972. Marriages and motherhood interrupted Bergman's art for 15 years . Bergman made her home in Maryland in 1975 and she continues to study and work on her art. Her most current works are of female figures. When asked the reason for the abun dance of women in her paintings, she replied, "I do so for the pure and simple reason that at the Torpedo Factory, the Art League in Alexandria, my instructors prefer female live models. But, of course, whenever I get the chance, I also paint male models and flower still lifes. I also attend a sculpture class and the instructor prefers men so I sculpt mostly male figures. The media I prefer are oil, watercolor, and pen and ink . With pen and ink I can draw a person in a single unbroken line within just a few minutes" (Bergman, 1998). Many of her paintings leave the impression of being unfinished or incomplete. "Less is more" is a concept to which Bergman has adhered. Her work is akin to American Abstract Expressionism in her creation of colorful and carefree images. Bergman describes herself as "a person who gets great satisfaction from drawing and painting C L A I RE

Digitized by

H A BER

BERG

Go ogle

■

M AN

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

people and scenes in joyous combinations of colors. I am easily pleased, but at the same time I apply strict standards to distinguish between quality and junk" (Bergman, 1998). Her works are seen in numerous art galleries including Lynn Kottler Galleries in Manhattan (1976), Gallaudet University (1979), Borders Bookstores in three different locations (1996 and 1997), and a Washington, DC, Barnes and Noble Bookstore (1997). She was featured in juried group exhibitions at the Torpedo Factory in three successive years, 1997, 1998, and 1999. For the December 1998 juried exhibition at the Art League of Alexandria, Virginia, Willem de Looper, former Acting Curator of the Phillips Collection, selected her latest painting, Woman wi.th Teapot, which was exhibited at the Art League (then Torpedo Factory Gallery). Only 88 of the 681 art works submitted were selected for this exhibition. A wellknown artist told Bergman that she finally "found herself as an artist." This is not the only recognition that Bergman has received lately. She was also invited to participate in an exhibition of nine deaf women artists in March 1999 at the Ceres Gallery in Manhattan . Five of her art works, including a sculpture, were displayed and received praise from both the public and the press. In 2000 she received a commission to create an artwork for the League of Women Voters for a membership women awareness campaign (150,000 members). Incidentally, the league's director purchased a Bergman painting, Tea in the Afternoon, for her personal collection. A CLOSER

LOOK

Moving into the early 21st century , Bergman's work reinforces a successful marriage between Action painting with its emphasis on action and movement as indicated by her powerful brush strokes and Color Field painting with her bold colors. Her early "less is more" belief is slowly disappearing from her work. WORKS

PEEKING

This winsome drawing of a child playing peek-a-boo exempWies Bergman's philosophy of the economical line. Bergman's mastery can be seen in the lithe and sinuous figure. The child peeks out of one eye, which is the only solid shape in the work. Bergman drew this without lifting the pen until the work was completed . Bergman has received repeated offers to buy this work, but she steadfastly refuses to part with it.

[f{J]D eaf Arti Digitized by

sts

i n America·

Go ogle

Colonial

to

Co nt e mporary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

PEEKING

1969. Ptnand ink onpaper 16 x 10 inchts Collectionof theartist. Photo credit:SteveBrenner.

LOOKING INWARD

1995. Watercolor, 14 x I 3 inches Deborah M. Sonnenstrahl.

LOOKINGINWARD

Bergman has a tendency to draw people very rapidly with a single continuous stroke . She later adds watercolor. She describes her painting style: "the paint is neither slapped on nor stabbed into the canvas, but spread with rapid, sweeping strokes. For life to be _./ breathed into the portrait , '--./ harmony and balance are I stressed, rather than garishness and inner torment . The particular matching combinations of the colors used- purples, blues, yellows, and reds- reflect the splendor of life and imprint the subtle mystery of the human personality on the canvas ."

CL

AIR

E

H ABER

Digitized by

B E R G MAN

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

RESPITE

RESPITE

This work departs from the "less is more " path usually 1998. Oil on canvas, followed by Bergman. There are embellishments of col36 x 48 inches, ors, patterns , motifs, shapes, and forms. The female figure Stevenand Eilttn is resting, yet the background is alive with zigzag lines BecharaSchultz. and stripes of bold color. Her left arm stretches out to rest Photocredit,Steve11 Schultz. on a purple table . Despite the bold colors there is an aura of rest-a contradictory painting. The secret lies in the manipulation of straight strips which emit inactivity. Bergman wisely used sunrelated colors for the sitter's clothes in order to arrest the viewer's attention. The table is a solid of "warm" purple, which comp etes with but appears to concede to the female figure.

fll

D eaf

Artists

Digitized by

in

America

Google

: Colonial

to

Co ntemporary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

SEATEDWOMAN

SEATEDWOMAN

Bergman took liberty with perspective in this work, yet things fall into place. The colorful square motif in the woman's skirt gives the painting a sense of stability and echoes the curvature of the woman's arms . The spiral pattern of the colored skirt is reminiscent of a musical sheet - playing music with the eyes instead of ears . The background is kept to a minimum, maintaining the spectator's attention on the main figure. The picture is painted with rapid and sweeping strokes.

1998. Oil on c.a11 vas, 36 x 30 inches.

CLA

IR

E

H A B E R

Digitized by

Pn·vatecolledion .

Photocredit:SteveBrenner.

B E RGMAN

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

Reinventinga NewRealityinArt

PORTRAIT

ByJosephBartnikowski 1990. Oil on can11 as. Colledion of the artist.

S

urrealism (1924 to 1945) with its emphasis on the power of the unconscious and the spontaneity of "psychic automatism" as the subject matter (as Salvador Dali was fond of saying), affected deaf artists. Other artists in this book, such as Morris Broderson and Harry Williams, also felt the impact of this movement, Robert Hughes aptly explains in American Visions, 1997, "Surrealist automatism revealed the action of the dreaming mind in paint." Born Charles Bourke, Wildbank took his professional name from the family's estate. The Bourkes moved to the Wildbank property in Sand Point, New York, in 1969. Visitors to Wildbank felt engulfed in an idyllic pastoral setting, complete with private beach, skyline view of Manhattan, and museum-quality antiques. Undoubtedly, the aura of the Wildbank residence exercised a long-term influence on Wildbank's work. Wildbank was born deaf on December 30, 1948, in Long Island, the eldest child of a family of nine children. Unable to hear or talk he communicated by drawing. When he was four years old he wanted a Snickers bar, but unable to pronounc e the name he drew a picture instead, astonishing his parents . Drawing came naturally to Wildbank. He enrolled at the Mill Neck Manor School for the Deaf in Long Island in 1950 and learned how to use his voice . His speech became more developed when he was mainstreamed in a local school in 1955, and he became a profici ent lip reader. Wildbank learn ed sign language.

Em

D eaf

Artists

Digitized by

in

America

Google

: Colonial

lo

Conte

mporar

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

y

He also studied French and Spanish and knows a "smattering" of other foreign languages from his wide travels. He was awarded a summer fellowship at Yale University School of Music and Art in 1969 and a BFA cum laude from Pratt Institute in New York. He attended the Teacher's College at Columbia University, New York, where he graduated with an MA degree in 1972. In his own words, Wildbank expressed his desire to teach deaf children art and communication skills because he wanted to "tell deaf children what I had gone through and try to rekindle in them a sense of purpose. I wanted to be a sort of living testimony of that, so they could take a page from my life" (Wildbank, 2002). Yet, life was not easy for Wildbank. He was constantly searching for the truth of life in his art. In order to find the elusive answers he sought, he left his teaching profession after three years to take up painting full time. He explains his change of career: "I felt students could learn more from me as an inspiration. I wanted them to see me go on and develop, and I hoped they would, too" (Wildbank, 2002). He traveled the world over, including several extensive trips throughout Europe and backpacking through the Mediterranean. Back home once again, Wildbank initiated his art by exhibiting his floral paintings in the windows of a Bonwit Teller store in New York in 1997-the first of numerous exhibitions that followed. Looking at Wildbank's paintings one feels an ocean inviting us to dive in, a sandy beach beckoning us to walk, a flower asking to be plucked from the bunch, or even a candy b~ waiting to be bitten. The objects are so realistic, yet appear to be frozen with a photographic quality. Wildbank's work emerged when American art in the late fifties and in sixties was replete with American Pop who painted popular objects, artists including David Hockney (included in this book), Roy Liechtenstein (born 1923), and Andy Warhol. When the sixties rolled into the seventies another style dominated the American scene-Photorealism. Along with his extraordinary personal style, the art that surrounded Wildbank can be seen in his work . Photorealism with touches of Surrealism characterizes Wildbank's style. Wildbank brings objects to the front of the picture plane, developing a rapport between the painting and the viewer. Wildbank prefers to call his art "life as art ." He has said, "Sometimes the title can throw a hint unless the artist chooses to keep it on a higher abstract level thus challenging the views even more to fathom the painting's mystery. This is the aspect of art that has entertained mankind over the ages ...the artist becomes a poet to a degree that he allows the thought associations to go onto the canvas uncensored and CHARLES

Digitized by

BOURKE

Go ogle

WILDBANK

Original from

■

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

unadulterated. He finds the metaphor to be a powerful tool and that is what gives the art its lasting impact. It never ceases to baffle and without testing the viewer's patience ...just enough to entertain and to lure the viewer back to the canvas to seek more of its mysteries and jewels" (Wildbank, 2002). He reinvents our way of looking at reality-the new reality. He is particularly adept at floral paintings that sometimes overwhelm the viewer with their massive size . Exploding with color, they seem to radiate their own light. He also photographs flowers, using techniques he learned at Yale under famous photographer Walker Evans (1903-1975) . Wildbank also studied with renowned photographer Ansel Adams . With a magnifying lens, Wildbank scrutinizes and dissects the pictures in intense detail. He cuts out huge silhouettes of each of the elements and attaches them to the canvas as stencils. Then he paints. There is an expression of lightness and spontaneous movement in Wildbank's work. 11I try constantly to experiment with time and motion," the artist explains, 11combing graphic elements with floral designs. My work creates a nostalgic experience, by using flowers to express feelings of senses; joy, hope and love. Translucence is the key." Julie Andrews of The Sound of Music fame and celebrated opera singer Luciano Pavarotti own Wildbank's work, as do other prominent people. A partial listing of Wildbank's exhibitions includes the Palmer Art Gallery in Los Angeles; numerous exhibitions in the Westhampton beach area; US Consulate in Martinique, F.W.1.,Cartier in New York, Bonwit Teller in Beverly Hills, Allen Augustine Gallery in Lake Tahoe, and RVS Gallery in Southampton, New York. Wildbank, along with his artist wife, were featured in several award-winning television productions including Gallaudet University's Deaf Mosaic and National Cable Television Association's Beyond Sound. Wildbank continues to paint, but his subject matter has increased to cover a gamut ranging from flowers, still lifes, home decor, posters, murals, frescoes, and portraits. He prefers larger-than-life sized canvases that overwhelm the spectator . In 2001, exploring new technological developments, he published his original works in giclees, making his art more affordable. Wildbank created his own home page on the World Wide Web utilizing his talents to create a showcase for his art (http ://www.wildbank.com). He finds recent technological advancements useful tools in contacting his clients. The 2001 opening exhibition of the Joseph F. and Helen C. Dyer Arts Center, Rochester, New York, the largest art gallery in the world, showcased significant artworks by deaf artists, including Wildbank.

■

Deaf

Arti

Digitized by

s ts

in

Google

A m e ri ca : Co l onia

l lo

Co nt e mporary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

Wilde bank plans to do more "art/life" work exploring the innate world of an artist. He conceives that his new art will include his personal perception of life-deaf or nondeaf. Perhaps he will discover the elusive answers to his question of the truth of life in his art yet to come. A CLOSER

LOOK

Wildbank proved to be difficult to categorize. Does his work follow the themes of the current chapter of late 20th century art or does his work fall into the category of culturally deaf art covered in the chapter? His early work gives very little indication of his deafness and it was not until very recently that he exhibited works that focus on his deafness alongside other deaf artists. His current works continue to be largely based on nondeaf themes, hence his inclusion in this chapter. WORKS WOMAN IN MIRROR

A svelte woman lies against a sensual blue drapery-a theme used throughout the ages. The mirror tells a different story . Things do not appear as they should. Wildbank explains, "The woman's eyes are shut as if in ecstasy, yet the eye reflected in the broken mirror [symbolizing, perhaps, some mind-shattering breakthrough! is open as if to look back at the viewer to demonstrate that when we

CHA

RLE

S

Digitized by

B O URKE

Google

WOMAN IN MIRROR

1989. A crylic on canvas , 62

x 132 inches.

Mr.and Mrs. StuartJames.

WILDBANK

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

sleep and dream, we are yet fully awake and do not miss a thing ." In addition, "in the mirror we find some poetic text, but in reverse as if to read it from the other side ." THE WlNTER OF '92

Wildbank explains the surreality of this painting : "I painted a Nautilus seashell in the sky. I live near the ocean and love it. I am aware that the ocean holds a certain mystery or power or awe as the painting appears somewhat stormy at the bottom with a fish eye view of the ocean surface, and as the eye trails upward, the clouds are parting and some blue calm appears at the top ." Closer observation reveals that the seashell is slightly iridescent . Th e nautilus can be a symbol of a vortex or even the eye of a hurricane . This powerful work took first place in the Westhampton Beach Arts Festival in 1992.

THE WJNTEROF ·92

1992. Acrylic011 canvas , 72 X l 08 inches. Mr. a11dMrs. MarvinStrauss .

■ D eaf

Ar t ists

Digitized by

in

America

Google

: Colonial

to

Conte

mporar

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

y

WARNING:

WARNING: PAJNTINGNOT EDIBLE

PAJNTING NOT EDIBLE

The viewer becomes lost in the world of fantasy despite the ultra realistic appearance of the objects. Wildbank 's sly humor is evident in the title of the painting, in which assorted boxes of candy appear so realistic that the viewer is tempted to shove the painted hand away and grab some candy for themselves. Images of candy packages are crystal clear and the light on the candy wrappers is caught and sus pended . The candies are cropped off at the edges of the picture .

1994. Acrylicon ca1111as , 48 x 60 inches . TheSd111eidman Family.

C HA

R L E S

Digitized by

B O U R KE

Google

WI

L DBA

N K

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

--------

-

..

-

. ...ROBERT .'EDWARO BEH~_ KE" > .- ·.· -

1949-1989

PORTRAJTOF ROBERT EDWARD BEHNKE BY WAYNE QUI N

n.d. Oilon canvas. J\fo. SallyBehnke.

RoomPaintings

he Impressionism; Expressionism, Fauvism, and Color Field movements use color as the main ingredient of the painting. The Impressionist painters used color to demonstrate the relativity or the arbitrary character of colors as light plays on recognizable objects. The Expressionist painters used color to pour forth emotions. The Fauvist painters used "unnatural" colors and manipulated them to give paintings depth or flatness or whatever they wanted. The Color Field painters eliminated all references to the actual world and objects and focused on colors and their characteristics alone. Robert Edward Behnke used colors innovatively to create an illusion of depth within confined spaces. His later work changed to a joyous celebration of nature, however, still focusing on color in space. Behnke was born deaf on June 3, 1948, in Seattle, Washington, the middle son of a family of three boys. He was the only deaf member of the Behnke family and began to draw when he was four. His mother recalls, "it was his way of telling stories" (Behnke, 1998). By the time he was in school, art had become a major focus in his life. He was educated in special and mainstreamed schools. At one of these special schools he met an art teacher, Tucker Maxon. Maxon saw the young Behnke's potential and took him under his wing when Behnke was only nine years old. Behnke attended Bellevue High School in Seattle and graduated in 1969. He did the cover art work for

T

■ Deaf

Art

Digitized by

is t s i n A m e ri ca:

Google

C oloni

a l to

C ontemporary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

the 1969 Bellevue High Annual. He graduated from Central Washington University in 1973 with a bachelors degree of Fine Arts, and went on to receive a master of fine arts from the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in 1976. While a student at RIT his oil painting Mirror in Back won the 1975 Juror's Award at the Rochester Finger Lakes Arts Exhibition, and Behnke was recognized as one of the most exciting upcoming artists in New York. He was the first deaf artist to win this prestigious title. Seattle Post-Intelligencer's art critic Regina Hackett had this to say about Behnke's works in her article in the June 11, 1998 issue: 11 As a painter, Behnke found a way to express the massive weight of silence in a landscape, and the way empty rooms can tighten in the memory of their former occupants." His earlier work showed room interiors with patterned wallpaper within which he placed a single object such as a vase of flowers or a piece of furniture. He also did a series of images reflected in mirrors. The use of bold, flat color is a hallmark of his work reminiscent of Henri Matisse, who spearheaded the Fauvist movement. After great success as an artist, Behnke felt he needed to broaden his horizons. He took a trip to France in 1981 and was moved by French Impressionist Claude Monet's water lily paintings . He was particularly intrigued with Monet's concept of limitless space. The result of this trip initiated a new approach to his art. Instead of rooms, he painted floral themes. His flowers became surrounded by a visionary blackness, which contrasted with the white and vivid colors of the flowers. This new interest can be seen in The Pond, one of the first paintings done upon his return from France. On January 3, 1982, the Seattle Times featured Behnke as one of 82 people to watch in '82. He was featured as II a young painter with a couple of successful shows behind him, is working on impressions brought back from Monet's garden in France" (Behnke, 1998). Behnke completed work for the King County Arts Commission for the new Seattle Hearing and Speech/Community Services Center in 1984. He did two enamel panels-Orchids and Iris. It was the first time that his oils were transferred into enamel on steel. He had solo exhibitions at the Foster/White Gallery four times during the years 1979-1987, the Polly Friedlander Gallery in 1977, and finally the Rochester Memorial Art Museum in 1976, all in Rochester, New York. He also exhibited in group shows, including at the Henry Art Gallery in Seattle, E. R. Squibb & Sons in Princeton, New Jersey, and

ROBERT

EDWARD

Digitized by

BEHNKE

Go ogle

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

the King County Courthouse in Seattle (the works from this exhibition were selected for purchase by the Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington, and the Rochester Institute of Technology). Behnke's oil painting Apple Tulip (1982) appeared on the cover of ART LINE magazine's July 1983 issue. Unfortunately the art world lost Behnke abruptly on March 23, 1989, with the artist's death at forty years of age. To honor his memory and art an annual fellowship, the "Neddy" (after Behnke's affectionate nickname "Ned") was established in 1996. It is funded by the Behnke family foundation and the fellowship supports Seattle artists whose work is "energetic and innovative." A CLOSER

LOOK

Behnk e's untimely death at th e age of 40 years cut off what had been a promising exploration of spatial illu sion in artwork. WORKS MIRRORIN THESITTINGROOM

Behnke used a mirror in this scene, giving it an atmosphere of uncertainty. The sofa invites th e spectator's eye with its diagonal lines. Yet, the sofa's position is ambigu ous. Despite the stripped effect in both th e sofa and the wall s, there is a clear distinction between the furniture and background . THE POND

Influenc es of Monet are evident in thi s painting , but with a differenc e. Whil e Monet paint ed hi s wat erlili es in subtle hu es, Behkn e uses bold and solid colors . Th e outlines of th e flowers and th e waves of th e pond make a bold statem ent . Th e ripples of th e pond give a clear direction. Colors are lim ited to green, blu e, and black. The limite d space seen in earlier work is no longer felt in this painting , which was done imm ediately after Behnk e's return from France.

MIRROR IN THE SITTING ROOM 1975. Oil on canvas, 48 ~ 48 inches.

Robertand SallyBehnke.

■ Deaf Digitized by

Art

is ts

in

Google

Ameri

c a : C olonial

to

Co nt e m p orar

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

y

THE PO D 1982. Oilon canvas, 48 x 62 inches .

Privatecollection . EASTERLILY

If Behnke's room paintings were subtle and subdued, his flower paintings were not. They burst with life. The illy "shouts" out of the painting. There are no background patterns-only empty space.

EASTERLJLY 1985. Enamel011steel ,

inches . Mr. and Mrs.GeraldSchwarz. 42 x 5 0

R O BE

RT

EDWARD

Digitized by

BEHNKE

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

QUIETSUPPER

1987. Oilon canvas, 36 x 36 inchtS.

Mrs.AndrtWSaks.

QUIETSUPPER

This painting is one of Behnke's last works and we see a return to the original limited space of his "room paintings." Supper is arranged neatly on the table, but no forks or other eating utensils can be seen. To further complicate matters, buildings seen through the heavily constructed window appear to be irrationally structured. The smoke from the chimneys appears to be projecting through the window . The subdued colors add to the lethargic mood.

■ v e af

A rt is t s i ll A m erica:

Digitized by

Google

Colonia

l l o C ontemporary Original from

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

GARYMAYERS b.1954

.

~

_.,._ /

4-.

'-~/\ ",. U,j ,\ •

r·~

f

..,

,,.,.-

~-~

,,. . ~,

.,• .,..,~i,:n s ., o I ' " 111 laelkto 011, h"hy.

SH

AW

N

R I C H AR

Digitized by

There have been many television programs showing parents-to-be talking to their unborn children. Music is even used to "enhance" the fetus' intelligence and cultural development. Richardson takes advantage of this new phenomena with this cartoon showing a father-to-be using tactile sign language on the mother-tobe's stomach in the same way a deaf-blind person would communicate.

D SO

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

GETOUT

Deaf people like to laugh at themselves and Richardson is no exception . Richardson shows an interpreter in the pool fully equipped with his toy tube and a snorkel waiting for the go signal . In competitions deafness may or may not play a pivotal role in a swimmer 's results. Granted, itis ha.rd to watch for the "go"signal and then dive. Hearing swimmers are able to position themselves head-down, thus gaining a faster ·~doc,~ iwd.,, l1wrprNI"' 11mw.-: lie -,r entry . Howeve~ since the cartoon is humorGETOUT ous, it gives a good-natured lesson for all of us, hearing 1995. 4 x 4 inches. or deaf, that there are some obstacles for deaf swim, Ink andpaper. mers or other deaf athletes competing against their hearing peers. That is why the International Games for the Deaf !now World Games for the Deaf) were organized in Paris, France in 1924, offering an opportunity for deaf athletes to compete against each other. I

m

D e af

Art

Digitized by

ists

in

Ameri

Google

c a : C o l o 11i al

to

C onftm

p orar

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

y

SUSANDUPOR

TheWayIt Is

SEU PORTRAIT, SIGNING OWN NAME "S-D"

1998. Stencil, 22 x 19 inches Colledio n of the artist.

he De'VIA movement shows no signs of "fading away" but has become more widespread, gaining more ground in particular in the nineties . Its influence is also felt in Europe among deaf foreign artists. More and more younger artists chose to utilize their deaf experiences, good or bad, in art work. More and more artists are broadcasting their deafness. "Deaf pride" is a catalyst of all the achievements by deaf people. Artists from the seventies, eighties, and nineties have stimulated a greater interest in "deaf art." More deaf artists dare to tell it "as it is"-very much like the early works of Betty Miller . In fact , compared to Susan Dupor's work, Miller's early work seems tame. There are hints of humor in Miller's work. Dupor goes a step further by painting conscience-tugging, politically charged images of deaf culture and education, and metaphors of children as animals. In short, when viewing Dupor's works spectators stop in their tracks . There is no escape . Her paintings hurt . And they make us think. Susan Dupor was born deaf in 1969 in Wisconsin Rapids, but spent her childhood in Madison , Wisconsin . All of her family members could hear with the exception of an older brother who had some hearing loss. Her mother knows sign and has tried her best to interpret family gatherings, but according to Dupor, "If I was surrounded by all non-s igning people, it was one of the worst feelings in the world being left out" (Dupor, 1999). She attended "hearing-impaired"

T

S U SAN

DUPOR

Digitized by

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

mainstream programs from kindergarten through high school. Like many other deaf students in mainstream education, Dupor felt isolated. She focused on her art work during these lonely times. She enrolled at the National Technical Institute of the Deaf as a cross-registered RIT student majoring in illustration. It was a "rebirth" for Dupor. It was the first time that she received exposure to "Deaf culture." However, it was not the De'VIA artists who introduced her to the deaf world, but the deaf poets. Deaf poets including Peter Cook, Clayton Valli, and Debbie Rennie performed their work in American Sign Language, acclaiming deaf culture. Their work encouraged Dupor to use her own ideas in art showcasing the deaf experience-a crucial element in De'VIA. Dupor describes this incident vividly, "My first memory of consciously making Deaf Art was the first summer after college at NTID. I had been dating my hearing boyfriend from high school for a year. Our relationship was rusty . He lacked interest in learning signs and chattered to his friends in front of me. At home, I was doodling one day. Actually I was scrawling on a piece of paper. It was a picture of me signing to him and him talking verbally to me. It was pretty ugly, even my mom eventually picked it up and noticed the drawing. She showed it to me, 'What's with this?' If you need to vent your frustration, you don't need vodka, just make art, and it's a good remedy. Later, I broke up with him" (Dupor, 1999). Dupor transferred to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where she found herself the lone deaf student once again. Work done in this period reflected the problems she encountered in this environment and was done to release stress and pressures . Art was her outlet. However, she did want to make her art a learning tool for others to observe, identify, and try to understand. After earning her bachelors in fine arts in 1991 she obtained a job at an animation studio, but went back to school for a masters degree in art education and deaf education, graduating in 1993. Dupor taught English and several studio art courses at NTID for three years. She currently is teaching art at the Wisconsin School for the Deaf. She married Graham Burbank, a woodworker and furniture designer. Dupor continues to paint after school hours and exhibits her work regularly, at Designing Women, Deaf Artists of America exhibition, 1989; several shows at Switzer Gallery, Rochester , New York; numerous conferences; and Gallery 2, Chicago, in 1997. Dupor's work illustrates concepts that are common knowledge to deaf people. Since her work also serves as a teaching tool for hearing

Em

Dea f

A rt is t s i n A m e ri ca .- Co lo n ial

Digitized by

Go ogle

to

C ont e mporary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

people, she tries to establish a rapport between hearing and deaf people. Dupor is known to have said, "I'll make art until I lose my fingers and mind" (Dupor, 1999). A CLOSER

LOOK

Dupar acknowledges her debt to deaf history , culture , and education for their inspiration for her artwork. She closely relates to the Ameri can Social Realism painters of the Great Depression era. These artists used social issues as themes of their work, a source Dupar also draws from. WORKS DEAFAMERICAN

1989. Oilon canvas , 30 x 42 inches Colledionof theSusanSchatz.

DEAFAMERICAN

This painting deals with the theme of choices. An American deaf person is free to use devices including hearing aids or to undergo operations to have a cochlear implant . The worried girl in the painting is facing such a choice . Should she stay deaf or should she try to become a "hearing" person? Her right hand rests on her stomach to ease the queasy feeling. Her left hand holds up a pair of hearing aids. Behind her stands an American flag, symbolizing the land of the free, a land of choices . The question posed in this painting involves the trade-offs betwe en cultural identity, pride, and assimilation . The age of the girl (around 13 years of age) is representative of the most common age at which communication decisions are made . Dupor offers her own explanation of

SU

SAN

DU

Digitized by

P O R

Google

Original from

■

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

this painting, "The original intent of having my hands holding hearing aids right next to my face was my experience in the Chicago El trains which was my primary means of transportation in the city . Hundreds of times I have caught hearing people staring at my hearing aids . It felt horrible as if their eyes were drilling holes in my head. In this painting, I take the aids and put it in the viewers' face, 'HERE, ARE YOU SATISFIED'!" (Dupor, 2000). FAMILYDOG

This painting expresses feeling typical to isolated deaf children living with nonsigning, hearing family members . The deaf child sits on the living room carpet and stares at an unseen object-perhaps a television. She appears not-too-bright-a family pet. A group of adults sit behind her, their legs and blurred faces visible. The figures' hands are "locked " in their armpits, a clear message FAMILYDOG that they do not use sign language . The blurred faces make 1991. Acrylicon can11a s, it difficult to lip read. Strong forms, hot yellow color, and 56 x 57 inches horizontal lines of the coffee table emphasize the separation of the child/family dog from her family. Privatecolltdion.

Im

Deaf

Digitized by

Ar t ist s in

Google

Am e ri c a : Colo11ial

to

Co nt e mporar

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

y

I INTERESTINGTHE HAMSTER

I INTERES TING THE HAMSTER

In the early 1970s a law passed by the Con1993. Oilon masonite, gress known simply as PL 94-142 that stat48 x 48 inches ed disabled children should be "mainColledionof theartist. streamed" in public schools. This law mandated, but did not define, placement in the "least restrictive environment" which often resulted in a mor e restrictive environment for deaf children. Mainstream teachers were unprepared . Many had no previous experience with deaf people. Deaf children were alienat ed in classes, cafeterias, and recesses. A label identifies them as "hearing impaired." The mouths and ears of these children are emphasized, indicating the artist's belief that the term "hearing impaired" is a pathological label in mainstreamed schools. Audiological and speech development are overstressed in their education. The title "I Interesting the Hamster" slyly suggests "wrong English ." The two adults in the painting sit unmoved, perhaps the teachers . As shown by their closed eyes they cannot, or chose not, to see the plight of the deaf children . The flowers in the background signify sympathy-a metaphor for death .

S U S AN

DU

Digitized by

P O R

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

Digitized by

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

Glossary of Terms abstract art an artwork that shows little reference to visible reality; a nonobjective art. Abstract Expressionism a style of painting and sculpture of the late 1940s and 1950s originating in New York City, in which artists emphasize conveying their emotions and attitudes. Artists departed from a focus on the actual appearance of objects and artists instead looked inward to their own mentality, thoughts, and emotions as their subject matter and focused on the act of painting and the physical qualities of paint itself. academic a way of working in a style that resembles the training of the 19th-century academies, such as the l'Ecole des Beaux-Arts (the French Academy) using representational imagery, precise drawing, and carefully balanced composition. Academic Art art that rigidly follows the rules of the 19th-century academies such as the French Academy, a school that teaches strict, usually conservative rules. Action Painting a painting style characterized by implied movement in the brushstroke and the splattering and dripping of paint on the canvas-an offshoot of Abstract Expressionism. Action Painting suggests the physical action of the artist, who does not stand in one place. Since in Action Painting the artist uses broad muscular gestures, the works tend to be large. American Jackson Pollock (1912-1956) who moved around his canvas painting instead of standing fixed in front of the canvas epitomized this movement with his controlled brushstrokes and splattering and dripping of paint on his canvas. aerial perspective (sometimes called "atmospheric perspective") a method used by artists to represent spatial relationships and three-dimensional objects on a flat surface to give the effect as

G L OSSARY

Digitized by

O F

TERM

Google

S

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

seen by the human eye. In aerial perspective, this is achieved by a gradual decrease of color intensity and in the contrast of light and dark, so that everything in the far distance or background appears to be blurred or more subtle, e.g., a tendency toward a light bluish-gray tone. aesthetics . the study of the concept of beauty, how to explain it and how it is experienced by the viewers of the art work. American Realism see Realism . The Realist artists working in America stressed subject matter representative of its own particular time and place. Like their European contemporaries they rejected literature, history, and religion as subject matter . Instead they offered an objective view of their everyday lives and everyday subjects. American Renaissance a 19th century American art movement in which American artists absorbed the art world's enthusiasm for a delicate balance of American Realism and Greek idealism. At the time it was an unwritten rule that all great art was borrowed from the past, particularly Greek art. American Renaissance artists adhered to the Greek elements of style, but instead of using Greek architecture and other related objects, these artists used contemporary American objects. arabesque an intricate and elaborate design of geometric forms, interlaced flowers, and foliage. Art Deco also called "style moderne," a movement in the decorative arts and architecture that started in the 1920s and developed into an important style in western Europe and America during the 1930s. The predominant influences on Art Deco were Art Nouveau, Bauhaus, and Cubism. Decorative designs came from Ameri can Indian, Egyptian, and early classical sources and nature . Subject matters included nude female figures, animals, foliage, and sunrays in conventionalized forms, and the use of straight lines and slender forms was emphasized. Art Nouveau translated "new art" from the French, a highly ornamental style of the 1890s characterized by floral patterns, decorative organic forms, rich colors, whiplash and flowing curves, extreme stylization, vertical axial direction, and designs taken from plant forms . A well-known example of Art Nouveau is Louis Comfort Tiffany's (1848-1933) glassware and lamps.

■ D e af

A rt is t s i n Ame

Digitized by

Google

ri ca:

C o l o ni a l to

C ont t mporary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

Arts and Crafts movement an important decorative arts movement originated in England by John Ruskin and maintained by William Morris during the second half of the 19th century. These two men encouraged a return to craftsmanship and high quality materials since the goods of their time were rapidly massproduced by machines, which often resulted in inferior products. The movement advocated an "art for use"-domestic, architecture, and interior decoration such as furniture, tapestries, and wallpaper. Supporters of this movement wanted to displace the shoddy products of the machine age by reviving the carefully produced handicrafts of the past. The creed of this movement was an art "made by the people, and for the people, as a happiness to the maker and the user."

see The Eight. assemblages works of art that use pre-existing three-dimensional objects to create an image. Artists often use these pre-existing or selected objects in different ways and include them with other media such as painting or printmaking. asymmetrical balance when different figures are placed at the left and right sides of the composition, giving the pictorial equivalent of symmetry without having the exact same figures repeated on either side of the axis. This technique tends to make artwork more dynamic and active, whereas figures placed in a symmetrical balance give the work a more calm and restful appearance. Barbizon School a group of landscape artists who worked in France and generally advocated a return to nature as a way of escaping the social ills related to industrialization and urbanization. Baroque art the late 16th-18th-century European art movement that was both sensuous and spiritual. Dramatic and illusory effects in religious paintings were used to stimulate religious piety and devotion. Baroque art emphasized movement, strong emotion, curved lines, dramatic lighting and color, irregularity of form, heavy ornamentation, and exaggerated gestures. The stable composition and clear, well-defined pictorial space of the Renaissance were substituted with complex Baroque compositions based on diagonal lines. Baroque artwork is dynamic with rich colors and dramatic effects of light and shade. The chief supporter of Baroque art was the Catholic Church, which demanded dynamic art to reflect the goals of the church and the kings of Europe.

Ash Can School

GLOSSARY

Digitized by

OF

TERMS

Google

Original from

■

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

Bauhaus School an influential school of architecture, art, and design that started in Germany in 1919 until the Nazis closed its doors in 1933. The school advocated the concept of the relationship between artists and craftsmen and the synthesis of technology, craftsmanship, and design aesthetics. It was the first school to use the design of manufactured objects as art . The architects, painters, and sculptors worked and studied along with the weavers and woodworkers. Bauhaus ignored the traditional training methods of the 19th century art academies and initiated a new curriculum based on a shared foundation of design training for all students. Despite the encouragement of stylistic independence, the school emphasized the aesthetic of reduced form, exact and clear geometry, and limited color.

the pointed cutting tool used in etching. Byzantine Art the art style of 300 A.D. Eastern Europe that started with the move of the capital of the Constantine Empire from Rome to Constantinople, now Istanbul. The prominent characteristics of this style include mosaics featuring two-dimensional elongated figures with tiny feet, small heads, large dark eyes, and luxurious garments set against flat gold backgrounds. calligraphy from the Greek word for beautiful writing. In Chinese and Japanese writing, especially, calligraphy denotes brushwork. Drawings and paintings are considered to be II calligraphic" when they are cursive linear, resembling the spontaneous swelling of the curved line. canvas tightly woven fabric, usually cotton or flax, used as support for a pain ting. chiaroscuro see modeling. classical art that makes references to the art of ancient Greece and Rome at the height of their civilizations . Classical art reflected the "proper' rules of human beauty and proportion, stressing the feeling of nobility and elegance by the use of a refined sense of balance and proportion. Figures were delicately balanced between naturalism and idealism . No natural human flaws such as a broken nose or a pimple would be found in classical face portraits. The compo sition is usually orderly, closed, static, and symmetrical. The term classical style is often applied to all art of ancient Greece and Rome as well as to any art based on logical, rational principles and careful and well-planned compositions . Emotions are held under burin

L_J

D eaf

Digitized by

A r

t i

sIs ,n

Go ogle

A

111c

r i c a _. Co l onia

l to

Contemporary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

control. This art style has been bitterly attacked by the 19th- and 20th-century art movements. collage in art, referring to paste, glue, or adhere and taken from the French caller. A collage is an art work made in whole or in part by adding a variety of two-dimensional materials Itorn magazine pages, pieces of drawings or paintings, or the like) to a piece of paper, or cardboard, or any support. Color Field Painting by the late 1940s several artists began to change Action Painting into Color Field Painting, in which the canvas is stained with thin, translucent color washes. The color washes could be oil or even kin, but the most popular materials was acrylic, which can be thinned with water so that the color flows freely. These artists disregarded natural colors in nature and expressed their emotions, thoughts, and dreams in color. Their canvases are large, to wrap the spectator with a feeling of awe and spiritual transcendence. color theory scientific study of the characteristics of and relationships between colors. color wheel a chart showing the interrelationships of colors. It is a useful tool for exploring the relationships between colors and the results of mixing colors. composition the organization of the plastic elements in a work of art. This word is not to be confused with content . Conceptual Art an art movement that appeared in the 1960s when artists advocated that true art is based on ideas and concepts rather than the finished work, or images, and that art should be free of the gallaries. Many conceptual artists are opposed to using permanent objects. Instead they provide documents or written descriptions of what exists in the artist's mind as the only lasting physical product of their work. contemporary art art that was created since 1945, but more commonly used to describe the art of our times.

what the art work is about. contour an outline or edge of an object or shape, particularly when in an attempt to show volume or mass . contrapposto an Italian word meaning "set against." A method started by Greek sculptors to represent freedom of movement in a figure. The parts of the body are placed asymmetrically in content

GLO

S SARY

Digitized by

O F

TERMS

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

opposition to each other around a central axis. Weight is carefully distributed. cool colors usually blues, greens, and violets, since they appear to recede in depth behind the picture plane or behind warm colors . Cubism a 20th century art movement developed by Pablo Picasso (1881-1974) and George Braque (1882-1963) that broke ties with the Renaissance concept of space . Space is eliminated and figures are shown as flat and angular forms like the facets in a diamond. These forms are rearranged to show a picture, but not in a naturalistic style. At times, forms may be viewed simultaneously from several vantage points . Often, the figure and background have equal importance and the colors are reduced to a range of neutrals. This movement offers an intellectual image, rather than a purely optical perception of the interrelationships of forms in a composition. daguerreotype The first commercial photographic process, introduced in Paris in 1839 by Louis J.M. Daguerre (1787-1851). Each daguerreotype consisted of a copper plate, coated with silver, which when sensitized with iodine vapor, produced silver iodide. After a long exposure in the camera, the positive image captured on this surface was developed by mercury vapor. drypoint an engraving method in which the surface of the material is cut with a sharp needle to encourage rough edges. These rough edges make soft rather than crisp lines in the prints. Early Christian Art art dating from the time of Christ to the 6th century. l'Ecole des Beaux-Arts the keeper of the official art academy established in 1648 by Louis XIV;previously artists had been trained by apprenticeship through antiquity, the Middle Ages, and the Renaissance. As painting, sculpture, and architecture began to be recognized as liberal arts, artists wished to supplement their "mechanical" training with theoretical knowledge. For that reason , "art academics" were established. The first art academics were in Italy in the late 16th century. Students registered at l'Ecole des Beaux-Arts received a rigorous training in the anatomy of the human body. eglomise the technique in which gold leaf is applied on the object. Eight, The a group of eight American realist artists who painted the "other side of the tracks ," and who se work s showed life of the r:----71

..

'. Dea f

.I

A rti

Digitized by

s t s in

Google

A m e r ica

: Cv I o

II

i

aI

t

o C o ,, t e m p o r a r y

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

streets, the worker ghettos of New York, risque music halls, and boxing bouts instead of "genteel subjects ." They also were known as the Ash Can School when more artists joined the original group. The Eight became important in art history as they introduced to the public the realistic aspect of the city, especially New York. engraving a printmaking technique in which the picture to be printed is cut or scratched into the printing plate with a sharp tool. etching a printmaking technique in which the material, such as a sheet of copper, is first covered with an acid-resistant ground. Then, a needle (sometimes called a burin, which is a pointed cutting tool) is used to remove ground from certain places on the copper sheet. Then the sheet is dipped in acid that "eats" away the places exposed by the needle. These needle-made "grooves" are then inked and printed. Expressionism an art style that originated in war-trodden Germany in the early 20th century involving the artist's personal thoughts and innermost beliefs and in which emotional impact is achieved in painting with agitated brushwork and intense colors. Prostrate and upright figures with raised arms bring forth passion, a sentiment which radiates throughout much of this work. German Expressionists and others used harsh colors and distorted forms to relate their inner turmoil. Expressionistic artwork that denotes a sense of the emotional involvement of the artist in his or her own work. Fauvism from the French word fauvre meaning "wild beast." Early 20th-century artists created this art style that includes strong distortion of forms and bold juxtaposition of intense, bright and unrelated colors that one does not find in nature. figurative representation of form or figure in art. focal point the part of the composition that draws the viewer's attention to the visual center of an image. Folk Art artwork created by artists with no formal academic training, often relating to a tradition that has evolved over time, passed from generation to generation. foreshortening the technique used to make a painting with a sense of depth, whereby the artist reduces the size of the parts of an object shown as farthest from the viewer . Objects closer to the viewer appear larger than the objects in the background.

GLOSSARY

Digitized by

OF

■

TERMS

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

the general structure of an object or figure . free-standing sculpture sculpture that is not attached to a wall or carved from a wall (bas-relief). However, free standing sculpture can be designed for a niche, which would necessarily limit the spectator's point of view to the front or one side. Freud Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) the Austrian originator of psycho analysis for the treatment of psychological and emotional disorders who developed the technique of free association to bring repressed information out of the unconscious mind . A Freudian interpretation is often used in art, particularly in Surrealism, where it can serve to explain the meaning of symbols and dreams or sexual imagery. Futurism an art movement originating among Italian artists in 1909, until the end of World War I. Futurism was a celebration of the machine age, glorifying war and favoring the growth of fascism. Futurist art was especially concerned with expressing movement . genre a painting that shows scenes or events from everyday life. geometrical permutations mathematical change or change of the existent elements. German Expressionism usually used to refer to Expressionism of early 20th century German artists who distorted nature as opposed to imitating nature to achieve a desired emotional effect or representation of inner feelings. This movement was a reaction against Impressionism and Realism, which had no direct communication between the inner soul of the artist and the work . golden section an element of geometry , in which a line segment is divided into two parts, giving the "mean and extreme ratio" according to the Greeks. It became known more recently as divine proportion. Technically , a proportional relationship between two elements where A/B =BIA+ B. It is sometime known as the golden mean and it was used in antiquity as an ideal standard of proportions. According to Greeks as well as Renaissance artists proportional relationships related to the golden mean can be found throughout nature and were used in art and architecture. form

Gothic architecture an architectural style that originated in France in the 12th century and is characterized by ribbed vaults, pointed arches, flying buttresses , and high, steep roofs .

r- , j_

: D e af

..I

A rti

Digitized by

s ts

in

Google

:-\m t'ric

a : Co lo11 i al

to

C ontemporary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

Gothic Art an art style that originated in a region of Paris (Ile de France) in the 12th century when cathedrals became the city centers. The theme was religion and it prevailed in all aspects of the arts. The Gothic artists did not use Greek/Roman style because they considered the Greco/Romans to be pagans. Gothic Art was elegant and colorful, as seen in manuscript illumination, stained glass, decorative arts, and panel painting. gourd a hard-shelled inedible fruit that grows from a vine with and can come in various shapes including bowling ball, canteen (eggshaped), dipper (long-necked), Indonesian !kettle-shaped), and Mexican !birdhouse-shaped). gradation in painting, a series of ordered gradual changes of tone or color to give a three-dimensional effect. graphics a branch of visual arts that usually includes traditional printmaking media such as woodcut, engraving, etching, lithography, and silkscreen and in which line and value have usually been more important than color. However, in the modern age this branch of the visual arts has embraced photography, drawing, printed and televised graphs, charts, illustrations, and computergenerated art. For our purposes, Albert Newsam is the first graphic artist featured in this book . Greek art art of Greece often labeled as "Idealism," whereas actually it was a delicate balance of Idealism and Naturalism. Greek artists made an attempt to represent reality, yet imperfections or flaws in either nature or a human figure were eliminated, presenting an "ideal figure." Harlem Renaissance an art and literary movement in the mid- and late-1920s centered in the uptown Manhattan neighborhood of Harlem. The writers, painters, and sculptors of the Harlem Renaissance celebrated the cultural traditions of African-Americans.

a design with six sides or angles. high relief In relief sculpture, a form that extends at least halfway out of the background. Hudson River school A group of American landscape painters of the mid-19th century, who took a Romantic approach to depicting the Hudson River Valley, as well as lands further west. hue simply put, a particular color in an area. Pink and red, for instance, are different colors, but are, in fact, the same hue. Color hex

GLOSSARY

Digitized by

OF

TERM

Google

S

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

has three dimensions, hue, value, and intensity. Hue is the dimension of a color that describes its place on the color wheel. Humanism prior to the Italian Renaissance subject matter in the arts was primarily religious and not related to the natural portrayal of human life. For instance, the primary purpose of painting was to provoke a religious reaction in the viewer. In addition, the more important figures in the artwork were often made larger and the landscape was omitted. Instead, the members of the Holy Family were painted against a gold background, which signified the heavens. With the coming of Italian Renaissance, humanistic tradition changed the course of painting. Human beings and human values and interests became the most important elements as distinct from the other worldly values of religion. Idealism a philosophy of art that reflects a perfect world without any natural flaws. illusionism the use of techniques in an art work that gives the impression of a certain reality or illusion . imagists artists who create images or pictures. Impressionism a movement begun by French artists between 1880 and 1900 that movement was bitterly attacked at the outset, but eventually became accepted by the public and art critics. French Impressionist artists had individual styles but they shared the bright impressionist palette. They were influenced by Japanese prints, and were affected by the camera and photography. Their works are characterized by the use of bright points of pure color. The artists were preoccupied with the effects of light, which often led to the distortion of shapes and objects since color and light were the main focus of a painting. The Impressionists were concerned with direct observation of the natural properties of light. They studied changes in light and color (for instance, warm and cool colors) caused by weather conditions, times of day, and seasons. Reflections and shadows became important Impressionist subjects, in their attempt to capture the fleeting effects of light by applying paint in short strokes of pure color that appear brushy and spontaneous. Color took top priority over the forms of objects; subject matter was of little importance. Like the Realist painters before them, these artists painted everyday life and their immediate surroundings. The new availability of oil paint in tubes gave the Impressionist artists the opportunity to paint out-

r.··¥"'JD e a J Digitized by

A r I i s I s i n A m e r i c a : Colo11ial

Go ogle

to

Contemporary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

side directly from nature, resulting in numerous Impressionist landscape paintings. intaglio a design or an image in stone or other material sunk below the surface of the material. intensity also called saturation or purity, a term used to describe the brightness or dullness of a color. A bright color is high intensity and a dull color, low. Italian High Renaissance the culmination of the Renaissance experiments of the 15th century, characterized by a desire to achieve harmony and balance. The composition in the artwork is self-contained. Japanese art in the Paris Universal Exposition of 1867, many Japanese woodblock prints were presented, and had a great influence on Impressionist painters in France and America. The characteristics of such prints included simplified color forms with limited shades, which create flat compositions, and often an oblique view (bird's eye view). The flat forms are set next to each other to give the feeling of depth. joie de vivre from the French meaning "joy of life," a delight in being alive. lithography a method of reproducing drawings made directly on stone. A picture is drawn onto the surface with an oil-based crayon, which resists water when the surface is wiped with a wet sponge. Subsequently, oil-based ink is rolled across the surface and sticks only to the oil of the crayon drawing, leaving the damp areas of the plate clean. This method is based on the fact that oil and water do not mix. Paper is then placed on top of the stone, and run through a press . luminists painters who specialize in the effects of light on colored objects. Medieval art art reflecting the feudal age of the 11th century and the growth of Europe in the 12th century. During the 11th century the Roman Catholic Church merged its power in Europe and promoted Crusades, pilgrimages, monumental churches and sculpture. After 1100, cities appeared and were controlled by the new middle class involved in manufacturing and international banking. Paris became the business center of Gothic Europe . Universities replaced monasteries as centers of learning.

G LO

SSARY

Digitized by

OF

Ill

TERMS

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

medium or media (pl.) the main material or technique from which a work of art is made such as charcoal on paper, oil or acrylic paint on stretched canvas, etc. Minimalism a movement, which emerged in the early 1960s and emphasized a simple, direct expression of materials and pure, reduced forms. Artwork followed the style of nonobjective art with broad ranges of flat color and limited overlapping of form or color contrasts, avoiding any references to realistic representation of the external world. In general, Minimal artworks are simple and object-like. modeling in a painting, which is a two-dimensional piece, the use of light and shade to create a form that gives the appearance of being three-dimensional. The term chiaroscuro is frequently used instead of modeling. Modem art often denotes the art of the late 19th and 20th centuries. Also referred to as contemporary art. In the narrow sense, art historians define the term as art created between 1880 and 1945 from Post-Impressionism to Abstract Expressionism. motif a repeated visual theme or design. Naturalism an art style that accepts an attitude toward representation of the rendering of nature in a straightforward way without alternating it. However, it is not to be confused with the 19th century movement Realism. Neoclassical style an 18th-century style that brought back the Classical character of Greek and Roman art and is characterized by simplicity and straight lines in architecture. Neo-Platonism a popular philosophical theory during the Italian Renaissance in the 15th and 16th centuries that is a resurgence of the ancient Greek philosophy initiated by Plato that actual things are merely copies of ideas that have no bounds and that these ideas are the objects of real knowledge. non-objective art that does not show objects, real models, or subject matter. non-representational art another term for non-objective art which essentially does not refer to objects. It originated in the 1910's as an attempt by artists to create a purely visual art free from direct representation of the outside world.

!-

...

r .

·'

'.. D e af

Arti

Digitized by

s t s in

Google

America

.- C olo11ial

to

Contemporary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

Old Masters traditionally, a distinguished artist who was active before 1700. Today the term is also used to refer to recognized masters of the eighteenth century. Op art A twentieth century art movement and style in which artists tried to create an impression of movement by means of optical illusion. painterly resembling painting in the way the color, brushstrokes, and other elements are used such as loose, fluid qualities of brushwork. perspective in art, some of the methods used to portray depth in two-dimensional images. Linear perspective refers to drawing systems, which present decreasing size of objects as they recede from the perceived surface of the picture. Atmospheric perspectives achieve a three-dimensional effect through the use of increasingly reduced color intensity or blurring of colors with perceived distance from the viewer. photojournalism visual photographs, which transmit actual information or news akin to the printed word without decoration or beautification. Photorealism an American art movement that started in the late 1960s and 1970s. Photorealism was based on the concept of camera-quality paintings. Subjects are drawn and painted with photographic precision. Artists in the past did use photography as a resource, but the Photorealists were the first to use photographic images directly. At times, they painted from slides projected directly onto their canvases.

the art of making photographs resemble paintings. picture plane in two-dimensional work such as pastel, the surface of the piece . Objects may appear to be lying on the picture plane or receding behind it to give a three-dimensional effect. picturesque in photographic art, photographs that are manipulated to resemble paintings. Pictorialism

plastic elements these elements of a work of art such as line, form, color, and texture that artists use to express themselves or to obtain desired effects .

artists who worked out of doors under the open sky. Pop Art a movement that originated in England in the middle 1950s and mushroomed in New York in the early 1960s. Pop artists used plein air artists

GlOSSAKY

Digitized by

OF

T ERMS

Go ogle

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

images from the popular culture and adopted techniques from the commercial world, including the bold graphics of billboard illustrations and the flat, linear, impersonal line of comic strips. Post-Impressionism an art style of late 19th-century painters who utilized Impressionist elements of the earlier period with their interest in color and spontaneous brushwork. However, they included forms as they rejected the essentially decorative aspects of Impressionist subject matter. Post-Minimalism following Minimalism, a movement that reintroduced visible process in the work using nontraditional materials. primary colors red, yellow, and blue, the three pigment colors that cannot be made from other colors. Other colors are obtained from these primary colors. primitive early or undeveloped. proportion the relationship of the part to the whole in terms of size. psychic automatism the word psychic refers to a person sensitive to nonphysical forces lying outside of the sphere of physical science or knowledge. Using psychic automatism, the artist allows the work to create itself without involving outside factors such as the influence of preconceived notions. Doodling and drawing created without thinking or planning may be thought of as a form of physic automatism. The Surrealists made a serious attempt to reach this level using images and forms from their unconscious minds. pure color untreated or unmixed color obtained directly from the tube or any container. Realism a mid-19th-century movement that began with French painter, Gustave Courbet (1819-1877), who felt that the artist must rely on direct experience (he refused to paint an angel since he had never seen one). Essentially, Realism denotes the accurate and detailed narrative of nature or of contemporary life or of a common individual. Realist artists reject imaginative idealization in favor of a close study of outward appearance, including the ugly and commonplace. However, this is not a new concept, as Hellenistic Greek sculptures of old women and boxers were discovered. Specifically, Realism reacted against the academics who focused on idealism.

C.J

Deaf

Arti

Digitized by

s t s in

Am e ri c a : C o/011ial

Go ogle

lo

Contemporary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

meaning "rebirth" in French, an art movement that began in Italy and continued through the 14th and 15th centuries in Europe. Renaissance artists rejected medieval art and philosophy. They returned to classical Greco/Roman antiquity for inspiration . These artists did not merely copy, but attempted to portray the human life according to artistic forms and philosophical attitudes, which prevailed into the modern times, a departure from the saturated religious art of the previous period, the Gothic area. Each country expressed the movement in its own respective styles and characteristics, but the focus on balance, heroic subject matter, refinement, serenity and perfection remained consistent regardless of location. Renaissance artists were also religious and produced an astronomical number of religious Renaissance works, but they attempted to strike a balance between religion and humanity . The Renaissance artists developed artistic forms and philosophical attitudes that paved the way for the modern art world. representational art work that reflects a resemblance of nature or the natural world . reredos a screen or partition wall behind an altar in a sanctuary of a church. resin a member of the plastic family . Rococo art an 18th-century art style of the late Baroque period, during the Age of Enlightenment, that saw advances in science and technology and a belief in reason. Rococo art emphasizes light colors, playfulness, greater wit, and intensive decorations. Louis XIV demanded that paintings reflect the elegance of the aristocracy with sensual and capricious themes and a spirit of gaiety and novelty achieved using delicate rhythmic lines and patterns. Rococo broke away from the rigid Academic rules and restrictions. Roman art the art of the Roman Empire (founded in 37 B.C. by Octavius (Augustus). Romanesque architecture often termed the Pre-Gothic period, an architectural style of the 11th and 12th centuries characterized by thick, massive walls, the Latin cross plan , and the use of a barrel vault in the nave and rounded arches of churches and cathedrals. Romantic art an art style that is the opposite of the 19th-century restrained Neoclassical art in Europe. Intense emotion and action characterize Romantic works of art. The composition is less Renaissance art

G L OSS

A RY

Digitized by

OF

TE

R MS

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

orderly and more open and dynamic than in static Neoclassical or Classical art and often based on an asymmetrical balance. Romanticism a late 18th- and early 19th-century art movement that rejected technical standards, based on the Classical ideal that perfection should be shown in art. Writers and artists explored the experience of profound inner emotion as the catalyst of creation and appreciation of art. The Romantic artists refused to conform and remained independent of society which often lead to bizarre subjects and involved a melodramatic note the intention of which is to shock and excite. school in art a school refers to a group of artists whose work derives from a common or similar body of thought or characteristics. sculpture in the round a type of sculpture that is freestanding, and is surrounded on all sides by space. Secession Movement a movement at the beginning of the 20th century inspired by a growing dissatisfaction with the photographic establishment. Photographers sought to break away from the orthodox approach to photography, and from what they considered the stale work of fellow photographers. Photography of this new movement was characterized by the use of special printing processes resulting in artwork with less detail in the finished print. sepia a print or photograph of a brownish color. silhouettist an artist who creates silhouettes, which capture the sitter's likeness in dark material cut with scissors and mounted on a light background. silkscreen a printmaking process in which color inks are forced through a fine fabric mesh. The characteristics of such procedure are broad, flat areas of color since the areas to be printed are controlled by blocking out sections of the fabric that are not intended to print. Social Realism art that addresses the political and social situation of its time. The main characteristic of Social Realist art is general ized realism. These artists rejected a pure abstraction for fear that they might be misunderstood or that the viewer might be distracted from the message of the artwork. stabile a mobile is a hanging, movable sculpture, but a stabile is a standing, movable sculpture. Moving sculptures are also known as

Deaf

Artist

Digitized by

s

i11 Ameri

Google

c a : C o lo11ial

to

Contemporary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

kinetic sculptures. They can be powered by other energy sources but usually are powered by the wind or movements of air. subject what is represented in a piece of art. Surrealism (or Fantasy and the Irrational) a 20th-century art movement that was begun by poet Andre Breton in Paris in 1924 as a literary movement after World War I, whose members felt that the mind should be free from purposeful thoughts. The words in their writings were not held true to their meanings, but rather used to symbolize the contents of the unconscious mind. Eventually, Surrealist artists involved two different approaches to working. Surrealism as an art movement emphasized visions from dreams and fantasies such as the works by Morris Broderson as well as an inventive, spontaneous method of recording such visions as in Spanish artist Joan Miro's (1893-1983) artwork. These artists were influence by Freud and tried to discover the subconscious processes of thought by both accidental and automatic effects. Surrealism offered a new realm of imaginative possibilities to shock the spectator. The theme for Surrealist artwork is believed to be taken from unconscious, irrational sources and therefore takes on fantastic forms. Although the work may appear fantastic, it is often presented in an extraordinarily realistic or illusionistic style. Symbolism an art movement toward the end of the 19th-century (c.1885-1910) reflecting an intellectual and moral upheaval characterized by a reaction against Realism, and the use of provoking but often private and puzzling symbols. The world no longer appeared as a rational, orderly place. Symbolic art is characterized by a selfconscious preoccupation with decline, evil, morbidity, and darkness. The Symbolist artists believed there was no escape from such an environment, but this very awareness was a source of strength, since the Symbolist artists argued that those who are unable to realize their plight are the real victims. symmetrical balance when the weight on the left and right of an artwork is basically the same and the focal point is usually in the center. Tonalism a popular artistic style from the 1880s to the early 1900s that was more of an occurrence than a movement in American art. Tonalist landscapes showed soft painterly application and muted color harmonies with few variations in colors and contours.

GLOSSARY

Digitized by

OF

TERMS

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

the degree of lightness or darkness of a hue or neutral shade. One hue has many values, ranging from high (light) through medium to low (dark). warm colors colors whose hues are in the area from red to yellow on the color wheel. Warm colors appear to move advance visually and both cool and warm colors are used to differentiate foreground and background. watercolor paint using water as base. Watercolors are usually composed of a mixture of pigments with a gum binder and the mixture is thinned with water . Mistakes are difficult to correct as watercolors dry very quickly compared with oil. value

-

'"II

'. Deaf

.....-· ..a:

Arti

Digitized by

s t s in

Go ogle

Ameri

ca : Co lon

i a l to

Contemporary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

References Ackerman, G. M. (1994 ). "American Orientalists." Courbevoie/Paris, France: ACR, Edition, Internationale. Albronda, M. (1980). "Douglas Tilden: Portrait of a Deaf Sculptor ." Silver Spring, MD: T. J. Publishers, Inc. Albronda, M. (1985 ). "The Magic Lantern Man." Freemont, CA: California School for the Deaf Graphics Department . Albronda, M. (1995 ). "Douglas Tilden: The Man and His Legacy." San Francisco, CA: Self-published. Allen, F., and Allen, M. (1894). Prize-winners account of themselves. Mar. The Photo Beacon . Althoff, S. (1966). Art and altar. Nov. 6. St. Louis Globe-Democrat Sunday Magazine. Armitage, D. (1996). Robert Peterson : An interior space. Nov. The Magazine : Critical Reflections. Art in America Annual. (1997-1998) . Guide Sourcebook to U.S. World Museums, Galleries, and Artists, pp. 165, 2256. (CHECK CITATION IN WILHITE) Baer, A. M. (1997). Personal communication . Ballin, A. (1930). "The Deaf Mute Howls." Los Angeles, CA: Grafton Publishing. [Reprinted in 1998 with Introduction by Douglas C. Bayton, Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press.] Behnke, S. (1998). Personal communication, Aug. 28. Bergman, C. (1996). Personal communication . Bergman, C. (1998). Personal communication. Bergman, C. (2002). Personal communication. Bloch, D. (1980). Personal communication.

R EFERE

CES

Digitized by

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

Bloch, D. (1997). "Holzchnitte-Woodcuts, Shanghai 1940-1949." Nettetal, Germany: Sankt Augustin. Bonillas, P. (1998). Mary Rappazzp's studio. Hearing Health, pp. 34-35. Sept ./Oct. Braddock, G. C. (1975). "Notable Deaf Persons ." Washington, DC : Gallaudet College Alumni Association . Brion, M. (1960). "Romantic Art." McGraw-Hill . Brown, D. (1963). Something to say-In sculpture. St. Louis Globe Democrat Sunday Magazine. Apr. 7. Canning, J. (1998). Personal communication . Canning, J. (2000). Personal communication. Carlin, J. (1847). The deaf mute's lament. Philadelphia Saturday Courier, pp. 15-16. Oct. Carlin, J. j1868) . "The Scratchsides Family: A Book for Young People." New York: William L. Stone and John T. Barron. Caroll, C. and Mather, S. M. (1997). "Movers and Shakers: Deaf People Who Changed the World." San Diego, CA: DawnSignPress. Catlin, G. (1841). "North American Indians: Letters and Notes of the Manners, Customs, and Condition of the North American Indians." [Edited by Matthiessen, P. (1989). New York: Penguin Nature Classics .] Challenge j1981) . A thing of beauty is a joy forever: Gary Mayers creates beautiful things to harmonize with nature, Vol. 12, No. 4. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, Spring. d'Estrella, T. (1887). Virgil Williams' art notes to a deaf-mute pupil. The Overland Monthly, pp . 285-294 . San Francisco. Mar. Davis, S. (1993 ). Artist encourages freedom, self-esteem among students. The Morehead News. Morehead, KY. Sept. 24 . De'VIA Manifesto (1989). [Presented at The Deaf Way Art Festival, Gallaudet University, Washington, DC] Domich, H. (1939). "John Carlin, a Biographical Sketch ." Washington, DC: Gallaudet College Press. Dupar, S. (1999). Personal communication . Dupar, S. (2000). Personal communication. Elion, L. (1993). "Chuck Baird: 35 Plates." San Diego, CA: DawnSignPress. 11

...

.' D r a f

•

1\

Digitized by

rI i sts i n

A m r r i ca : Co I o

Google

11

ia I

to

Co n I emp o r a r y

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

Farrington, S. (1999). Very special artist receives very special recognition. Carollina, The Sanford Herald. Sanford, NC. Nov. 10. Fauntleroy, G. (1998a). "Robert Peterson: Still Life." Santa Fe, NM: The Muson Gallery. Fauntleroy, G. (1998b). A reverence for form. Southwest Art, pp. 40-43. Dec. Fisher, M. (1997). Presentation. Gallaudet University. Oct. Flynt, S. (1999). Personal communication. Flynt, S. (2001). Personal communication. Flynt, S. (2002). "The Allen Sisters: Pictorial Photographers 1885-1920." Deerfield, MA: Memorial Hall Museum. Frederick, L. (1987). Though deaf, Wilhite has no trouble communicating. Times Daily, p. 8G. Tuscumbia, AL. Feb. 27. Frisino, L. (1998). Personal communication . Frisino, L. (2002). Personal communication . Fuller, A. (1873). Fuller family papers. Unpublished. Gallaudet Connections (1997). Compositions in color. Oct. 13-30. [Art exhibition brochure.] Gannon, J. R. (1981). "Deaf Heritage: A Narrative History of Deaf America." Silver Spring, MD: The National Association of the Deaf. Geiger, J. (1998). Personal communication. Gombrich, E. H. (1995). "The Story of Art." London: Phaidon Press. Groce, N. E. (1988). "Everyone Here Spoke Sign Language: Hereditary Deafness on Marthas Vineyard." Hartford, CT: Harvard University Press. Guy, C. (1989). Frisino Wildfowl Art/fournal of the Ward Foundation, pp. 13 and 55. Spring. Hackett, R. (1998). Seafirst Gallery show puts spotlight on Neddy winners and nominees. Seattle Post-Intelligencer, p. C6. June 11. Haley, M. (1988). "Granville Redmond: A Triumph of Talent and Temperament." Oakland, CA: The Oakland Museum. Herweg, J. ( 1979). Sculptor of silence. Missouri Life, pp. 41-43. Nov./Dec. Higgins, F. C. (1983).. Deaf artist of the post-Revolutionary War era. Gallaudet Today, Vol. 13, No. 4, pp. 28-32. Summer. REFERENCES

Digitized by

Go ogle

Original from

■

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

Hills, P. (1974). "The painter's America: Rural and Urban Life 1810-1910." New York/Washington DC: Praeger Publishers (in association with the Whitney Museum of American Art]. Hines, D. C. (1980). Morris Broderson: Speaking through his art . American Artist , pp. 46-51, 97. Oct. Hockney, D. (1993). That's the Way I See It. London : Thames and Hudson. Hodgson, K. A. (Ed.) (1891). John Carlin. The Deaf-Mutes' fournal. Apr. 30. Hughes, R. (1997). "American Visions: The Epic History of Art in America." New York: Alfred A. Knopf. Ivey, L. S. (1992a). Untitled poem. Collection of the author. Ivey, L. S. (1992b). Personal communication . Jankowski, K. (1997). "Deaf Empowerment : Emergence, Struggle, and Rhetoric." Washington DC: Gallaudet University Press. Jenkins, W. (1904). Albert Victor Ballin, artist. Silent Worker, Vol. xvi, No. 4. Jan. f ewish Exponent (198 7). His disability no handicap to art . Philadelphia, PA. Oct. 9. Keinert-Engel, B. (1987). Abstracts, bright colors prevail in art exhibit. The Flor-ALA, p. 7F. Oct. 8. Keniry, C. M. (1975). Sometimes you don't need words . Natick Surburban Press, p. 20. Oct. 1. Kleiner, F. (2001). "Garner's Art through the Ages, 11th Edition." Wadsworth Publishing. Kowalewski, F. (1971). The Art of Frederick LaMonto. The Deaf American, pp. 3-4. Mar. Kowalewski, F. (1973). Artist of two worlds. The Deaf American , pp. 3-5. Nov. Lambert, K. (1998). Personal communication. Lamont, L. (1906). The silent artists and his work-Deprived of speech and hearing, Cadwallader L. Washburn devotes his life to painting and etching . New York Herald Magazine Section. Mar. 18. Lane, H., Hoffm eister, R., Bahan, B. (1996). "A Journey into the Deaf-World ." San Diego: CA : DawnSignPress.

■ Deaf

Ar t is t s in

Digitized by

America

Google

: Co l on i a l t o C ontemporar Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

y

Lang, H. G., and Meath-Lang, B. (1995). "Deaf Persons in the Arts and Sciences." Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. Lapp, H. (1991). "A Craftsman's Handbook." Intercourse, PA: Good Books. Listisard, M. (1997). Neon, sunflowers, &. double illusions. Deaf Life, pp. 22-32. May. Low, S. (ca. 1960s). Announcement. [Can be seen at the Gallaudet University Archives .] MacKinnon, C. (1993). "Silent Observer ." Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press. Madormo, N., and Malloy, N. (1991). Blanche Lazzell, a modernist rediscovered. Archives of American Art, New York Regional Center Exhibition Brochure. June 25-Sept. 20. Mannes, J. (1987). "Gallaudet Encyclopedia of Deaf People and Deafness," Vol. 2, H-R, pp. 283-284. New York: McGraw-Hill. Marschark, M., Lang, H. G., and Albertini, J. A. (2002). "Educating Deaf Students : From Research to Practice." Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. McCauley, D. (1994). The paintings of Henry and Elizabeth Lapp. Folk Art: Magazine of the American Folk Art, pp. 53-61. Fall. Miller, A. (1931). Our artists in person: No.24-Granville Redmond. Los Angeles Times, Mar . 22. Miller, B. G. (1985). Personal communication. Miller, B. G. (1995). Deaf Artists' Exhibit Gallery Guide, p. 7. Deaf Studies IV Conference. Boston, MA . Apr. 2 7-30. Miller, B. G. (1998). "Deaf and Sober: Journeys through Recovery ." Silver Spring, MD: The National Association of the Deaf. Miraglia ,E., Law, R., and Collins, P. (1999). What is culture? http://www.wsu.edu:8001 /vcwsu/commons/topics/ culture/ culture-index .html Moore, M. (Ed.). (1990). Mini gallery : Alex Wilhite . Deaf Life, pp . 25-29. Dec. National Endowment for the Arts (1994). "Design for AccessibilityAn Art Administrator's Guide." Washington, DC : National Endowment for the Arts . Nelson, E. (1909). The California News. Oct .

REFERE

NCES

Digitized by

Go ogle

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

Newman, A. and Newman, L. (1995). Our father, Henry NewmanThe quintessential artist . Washington Society of fewish Deaf Newsletter, Vol. 20, No . 1, pp . 1 and 4. Dec.

New York Herald (1913). One's best work over at eighty? Nonsense says Mrs. Charlotte Coman. Jan. 12. Paces Bank and Trust (1990). Art by American women; selections from the collection of Louise and Alan Sellars. [Photocopy at National Museum of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.] Padden, C., and Humphries, T. 11988)."Deaf in America: Voices from a Culture." Hartford, CT: Harvard University Press. Payne, C. (1991). Wilhite enjoys challenging the odds . Sunday Montgomery Advertiser, p. 7F. Dec. 8. Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts (1928). "Annual Exhibition Catalog." Philadelphia PA: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Archives. Peterson, C. I1987). A Brush in her hand. Sunday World Herald Magazine of the Midlands, Oct., 11. Peterson, G. (1981). William Sparks : Portrait pain ter. The Deaf Amer ican, pp. 4-5 . May. Philadelphia Inquirer (1956). What do you want to know? Haeseler, wanamaker artist. Press-Enterprise, The (1989). Services set for leader in deaf community. Riverside, CA. Aug. 15. Rappazzo, Mary. ln.d.). Artist's personal vita. Ree, J. 11999)."I See a Voice: Deafness, Language and the Senses A Philosophical History." New York: Metropolitan Books. Reid, D. 12000). "Thinking and Writing about Art." Prentice Hall . Richardson, S. 11998).Personal communication. Robertson, E., and Nestor, S. (1982). "Artists of the Canyons and Caminos : Santa Fe, the Early Years." Salt Lake City, UT: Gibbs M. Smith . Rouve, P. 11956).The sensitiv e eye. Art N ews and Revi ew, p. 5. London. Oct. Sayre, M. L. (Rankin, T., Ed.) 11995)."Deaf Maggie Lee Sayre: Photographs of a River Life." Jackson, MI: Univers ity Press of Missi ssipp i.

□ Deaf

/\r l is l s

Digitized by

in

America

Go ogle

:

C o l o n ia l

lo

C onttmporar

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

y

Schulman, R. (1949). Star Times. St. Louis, MO. Jan. 25. Sibscota, G. (1670). "The Deaf and Dumb Man's Discourse." London, UK: H. Bruges. Silent News. (1998). Deaf trivia. Vol. 30, No. 11. Nov. Silver, A. (1995). Deaf Artists' Exhibit Gallery Guide, p, 9. Deaf Studies IV Conference, Boston, MA. Apr. 2 7-30. Silver, A. (1989). Personal communication. Silver, A. (1999). Personal communication. Silver, A. (2001). Personal communication. Silver, A. (2002). Personal communication. Smith, D. (1987). Maggie Lee Sayre: Her photographs capture a vanished way of life. Gallaudet Today, pp. 2-9. Summer. Sonnenstrahl, D. M. (1996). De'VIA: What an odd word! in "Deafness: Historical Perspectives, A Deaf American Monograph," Vol. 46, pp. 131-134. Silver Spring, MD: The National Association of the Deaf . Steadman, W. E. (1975). Morris Broderson. Tucson, AZ : The University of Arizona Museum of Art. Steele, R. (n.d.). "Joseph Henry Sharp and the Lure of the West." Great Falls, MT. C.M. Russell Museum. Stevens, K. H. (1937). Jean Hanau, French Modern. The Pelican, Vol. 58, No. 4, p.18. Dec. Stevenson, D. (1996). "Folk Art." Kansas City, MO: Ariel Books. Stolttzfus, L. (1993). "Two Amish Folk Artists: The Story of Henry Lapp and Barbara Ebersol." Intercourse, PA: Good Books. Strassler, B. (1995). Demand keeps deaf cartoonist at work. Silent News, pp. 23 and 26. May. Stuckey, R. (1985). Wilhite meets all challenges. Times Daily. Tuscumbia, AL. Aug. 25. Supalla, S. (1992). "The Book of Name Signs." San Diego, CA: DawnSignPress. Swope, H. V. (1924). An appreciation of Charlotte B. Coman. Art News, Nov. 15. Thompson, V. A. (1988). "A Mission in Art: Recent Holocaust Works in America." Macon, GA: Mercer University Press.

REFEREN

C ES

Digitized by

Go ogle

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

Thornley, M. (1995). Deaf Artists' Exhibit Gallery Guide, pp. 11, 12, and 20. Deaf Studies IV Conference, Boston, MA. Apr. 27-30. Thornley, M. (1998). Personal communication . Thornley, M. (2000). Personal communication . Wahonick, N. (1986). Fashioned with faith. The Disciple, pp. 10-12 . Apr. Walker, L.A. (1995). Houseboat days. American Photo, pp. 25-26 and 91-92 . July/Aug. Walker, L.A. (1994). "Hand, Heart, and Mind : The Story of the Education of America's Deaf People." New York: Dial Books. Wang, D. (1998). Personal communication. Wang, D. (2000). Personal communication. Washburn, C. (1911). How I took up etching . The Bellman, Vol. xi, No. 279, p.401. Nov. 18. Washington Post (1992). Adolphus Ealey, authority on Black art dies at 51. Nov. 16. Wattenmaker, R. J. (1994). "Maurice Prendergast." New York: Harry N. Abrams. Wheatley, L. C . (1999). Siler City's Wilhite shows artwork at White House. News of Chatham. Chatham, NC . Oct. 27. Wildbank, C. (2002). Personal communication. Willard, T. (1990). A look at the meaning of silence. Silent News, p. 28. Mar. Williams, H. (1990). What Botticelli should say about present day deaf art? Nordic Culture Festival, Leksand, Sweden. Summer. Williamson , D. (1971). His talent wouldn't be denied. The Austin American-Statesman , June 6. Wilson, G. (1998). Who needs a coat? Art Ac cess, p. 8. Mar.

■ D eaf

Ar t i s t s i 11 Am e ri c a : C o l oni al

Digitized by

Go ogle

lo

C onttmpora

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

ry

Index A Abbe, Charles Michel de L'Epee (Hannan), 121-122 Abstract Art, 3 75 Abstract Expressionism. see also German Expressionism definition, 3 75 dominance of, 225 in Form '49, 136 popularity, 171 schools of, 266 style of, 215 Academic, definition, 375 Academic Art, definition, 3 75 A Clown Stopped by Police for Speeding (Miller), 301 A Cow (Lapp), 99 Action Painting. see also Abstract Expressionism definition, 375 dominance of, 225 focus, 266 Adam and Eve (LaMonto), 208 Adams, Ansel, 262, 274 Adams, Wayman, 157, 195 A Day in Chinese Business (Bloch), 185, 186 Admis sion Day (Tilden), 83 A Dog's Life, 114

Aerial perspective, definition, 375-376 Aesthetics, definition, 376 After a Long Cruise (Carlin), 39,40 Albrizo, Conrad, 157 Albronda, Mildred, 56, 88 Alexander Graham Bell or Deafness as Pathology (Thornley), 334, 335 All American Breakfast (Baird), 316,317 Allegory (Broderson), 228 Allen, Frances S. about, 62-66 Dorothy and Vera Andrews, 67 Feeding the Babes, 63 Making Squash Babies , 63 Morning Grey, 67 Mowing at Evening , 66 Allen, Mary about, 62-66 Feeding the Babes , 63 Making Squash Babies , 63 Morning Grey, 6 7 Altered Sphere IV (Dirube), 220 Ambrosi, Gustinus, 251 American Renaissance Art, 129,376

I N D E X

Digitized by

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

American Sign Language eye contact, importance, xxi more oral, becoming, 84 oral system vs., 91 recognition, xx-xxi role in deaf culture, 339 story books, 300 use of, xx American Sign Language Past, Present, and Future (Miller), 310 Ameslan Prohibited (Miller), 308 Andre, Joan, 224 Andrew Iackson (Newsam), 25,26 Andrews, Julie, 274 Angel (Broderson), 226 The Angels, or Confrontation (Canning), 257-258 Animation, 345 An Interpreter (Miller), 301 Apple Tulip (Behnke), 280 Arabesque, definition, 376 Arbres a Tailoires (Freiman), 198,199 Architecture Gothic, definition, 382-383 Romanesque, definition, 389 Aristotle, xiv Arnold, N. Hillis about, 173-175 Deaf Given a Voice, 175 The Learners, 181 Make Me to Know Thy Ways O Lord, Teach Me Thy Paths , 179 Reredos, 180 The Statue of Our Lady , 178 The Wedding of th e Rivers , 174

a _l

.

World War II, 176, 177 Arrangement in Black, Gray and White. see Artist's Mother (Whistler) Art development, xxii history, basis for, xiv universality of, xxii-xxiii Art Deco definition, 376 description, 161, 163 history in America, 162 Artist's Mother (Whistler), 68 Art Nouveau characteristics, 165-166 definition, 3 76 Arts and Craft Movement, 3 77 A Shattered Life (Geiger), 296 Ash Can School. see The Eight ASL. see American Sign Language Assemblages, definition, 377 Asymmetrical balance, definition, 377 Audubon, John James, 230 Au Palais de Fontenblue , Paris (Freiman), 198 Avercamp, Hendrick, xvi A Walk Around the Hotel Courtyard, Acatlan (Hockney), 243

B Baby Talk (Richardson), 367 Baer, Anne, 33 7 Bail, Louis, 48 Baird, Charles "Chuck" Crawford, 351 about, 311-315

-:11111

: Dea f

L .. _ ;J

Ar ti s t s I n

Digitized by

A m e ri c a : Co lon i al

Google

to

Contemporary

Original from

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

All American Break/ ast, 316,317 On a Date, 317 Deadlock, 314 Ski Shop, 316, 317 Untitled, 313 Why Met, 313,315 Baldwin, James, 196 Ballin, Albert Victor about, 89-91 Isaac Lewis Peet, 92 Reverend Thomas Gallaudet, 92-93 Barbizon School approach of, 44 aspirations of, 35 description, 3 77 Barn ILapp), 96 Barnyard !Coman), 47 Baroque art, definition, 3 77 The Baseball Player !Tilden), 82, 85-86 Basque Fisherman "Ondarroa" !Stevens), 158, 159 Bath Doll in Red Pail !Sparks), 251 The Battle of Princeton !Mercer), 6 Bauhaus School, 3 78 Beach at Gloucester !Prendergast), 73-74 The Bear Hunt !Tilden), 82, 87 Beaudelaire, Charles-Pierre, 191 Beckman, 218 Bedford, E.T., 120 Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata !Kowalewski), 190 Begonia Evansiana !Hughes), 155 Behnke, Robert Edward about, 2 78-280

Apple Tulip, 280 Easter Lily, 281 Iris, 279 Mirror in Back, 2 79 Mirror in the Sitting Room, 280 Orchids, 2 79 The Pond, 279, 280, 281 Quiet Supper, 282 Bell, Alexander Graham on deaf people, 335 on oralism, 91 sketch of !Maxcy), 144-145 Bellows, George, 113 Bergman, Claire Haber about, 266-268 Looking Inward, 269 Peeking, 268,269 Respite, 2 70 Seated Woman, 271 Tea in the Afternoon, 268 Woman with Teapot, 268 Besnard, Albert, 104 The Bible Says !Geiger), 294 Bilger, Grace, 311 Biloul, Louis, 166 The Birth of Venus jHanau), 167 The Birth of Venus (Williams), 320 Black, Fred, 207 Blankenburg, Rudolph, 125 Blank Geburts and Taufschein ILapp), 98 Blind Mirror IDirube), 222 Bloch, David Ludwig about, 183-185 Chinese Bridge Shanghai, 186 Crying Hands, 185 A Day in Chinese Business, 185,186 In Der Nacht, 184, 185

I N D E X

Digitized by

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

Huuanghaoche, 183 Knock at Midnight, 187-188 The Last Stop, 188 My Family History, 187 Reception/Deception, 188 Bloque del Camicero Alto. see Butcher's Table (Dirube) Blue Raindrops (Wilhite), 363 Blumenschein, Ernest, 76 Bluth, Don, 346 Bobby (Geiger), 295 Borglum, Gutzon, 119, 189 The Bowie Knife Sculptor. see Clarke, John Louis Bowling Balls (Mayers), 286 Box of Fire (Wilhite), 359 Boy with a Finch (Brewster), 9 Brackman, Robert, 195 Brady, Matthew, 56 Braque, Georges, 135, 196, 380 Breton,Andre, 165 Brevoort, James R., 43 Brewster, John about, 8-10 Boy with a Finch, 9 lames Prince, 9 One Shoe Off, 12 Sarah Prince, 9 William Henry Prince, 11 Brice, William, 224 Brissaud, Pierre, 166 Broad Street New York City (Quinlan), 132 Broderson, Morris, 207, 391 about, 223 Allegory, 228 Angel, 226 Eli and Friends, 229 Holy Mary After Leonardo da Vinci , 226

[ ~_ J D e af

A rI i sI s

Digitized by

i

11

A

Google

III f

Lament for Ignacio Sanchez II, 227 Lizzie's Dream, 22 7 Memories, 228, 229 Nun of the Skull, 225, 227-228 The Rape, 225 'Iribute to Winslow Homer, 227 Bromelaceae Billbergia Reginae (Hughes), 153-154 Brooke, Richard N., 156 Brooklyn Bridge, 129 Brown, W.E., 82 Brown 'Irout (Frisino), 231 Brush painting, 236 Buddhist Priest (Washburn), 107-108 Bulletin Building, 164 Bull's Head (Picasso), 211 Burbank, Graham, 3 70 Burin, definition, 3 78 Busa, Peter, 212 Butcher's Table (Dirube), 221 Butch Sitting Up on the Houseboat Porch (Sayre), 203-204 Buy Me! I Know Sign Language (Richardson), 366, 36 7 Buzgalo, Uzi about, 336-338 Color Waves, 338 Flower of Language, 340 Only Lives in Water, 339 Byzantine Art, 378

C Calhoun, Alice, 91 California Landscape (Redmond), 112

r i c a : Co lo11 ia l

to

Contemporary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

California Poppy Field. see Field of Poppies !Redmond) Calligraphy, definition, 3 78 Canning, James about, 254-256 The Angels, or Confrontation , 257-258 Cantata, 258-259 Temptation of St. lim, 259-260 Cantata !Canning), 258-259 Canvas, definition, 3 78 Carlin, John about, 3 7-39 After a Long Cruise, 39, 40 Laurent Clerc, 41 Mary Virginia Greenway and William Henry Greenway, 39, 40 The Suitor, 42 Carpaccio, Vittore, 70 Cartoons, 364 Casa Cecchino !Washburn), 106 Casset, Mary, 43 Castro, Fidel, 219 Catlin, George, 24, 75, 76 about, 13-15 Chinook Woman and Child, 18 Mah-to-he-hah, Old Bear, a medicine Man, 15-16 Midshipman loseph Stallings, 14 Pigeon's Egghead (The Light) Going to and Returning from Washington, 16-1 7 Central Park (Prendergast), 70 Cezanne, Paul, 62, 71, 73-74,246 Chagall, Marc, 182

Chapel Hall 1937 (Kowalewski), 191 Chapel Hall 1942 !Kowalewski), 191-192 Chaplin, Charlie, 113-114 Chase, William Merritt, 104, 134 Chavannes, Puvis de, 71 Chessmen (Mayers), 286, 287 Chiaroscuro, definition, 378 Chicago, Judy, 326 Chief Deaf Bull ISharp), 78 Children at Tom Creek in Tennessee (Sayre), 205 Childs, Cephas G., 24 Chinese art, 235-236, 239 Chinese Bridge Shanghai (Bloch), 186 Chinook Woman and Child (Catlin), 18 Chirico, Giorgio de, 323 Choppin, Paul-Francois, 82, 105, 119 Christy, Howard Chandler, 104 Church, Frederick, 263 Circolo Artistico lnternazionale, 89 Circus Performers Seated at a Table Approached by a Young Woman Carrying an Empty Bowl IHanau), 168-169 Cistue, Isabella de, 49 Clarke, John Louis about, 139-141 Lower Two Medicine Lake, 141 Mountain Goat, 141, 142 Proud Big Horn, 141, 142 Rising Wolf Mountain, 141 Standing Bear, 143

I N D E X

Digitized by

Google

Original from

■

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

Standing Bear and Seated Bear, 143 Untitled, 143 Classical style application, 111 definition, 378-379 in photography, definition, 61-62 revival, 3 Clearing Off IComan), 45 Clerc, Laurent, 5, 41 Climax of Red !Wilhite), 361 Coe, Richard L., 305 Coffin Door II (Williams), 323 Cole, Elizabeth Delano, 83 Cole, Thomas, 44 Collage, definition, 211, 379 Color primary, 388 priority of, 384 pure, definition, 388 theory, definition, 3 79 use of, De'VIA, 337, 359 use of, traditional, 278 warm, definition, 392 wheel, definition, 3 79 Color Field Painting. see also Abstract Expressionism definition, 3 79 focus, 266 Color Waves (Buzgalo), 338 Coman, Charlotte Buell about, 43-44 Barnyard, 4 7 Clearing Off, 45 Early Summer, 46 Farmhouse Near Waterville , New York, 47 Composition, definition, 3 79 Conceptual Art, 357, 379 Conder, Charles, 68

Constant, Benjamin, 111 Contemporary Art, definition, 3 79 Content, definition, 3 79 Contour, definition, 3 79 Contrapposto, definition, 379-380 Cook, Peter, 3 70 Cool colors, definition, 380 Cordero Jose Villegas y, 90 Corot, Camile, 44 Courbet, Gustave, 223, 388 Crying Hands (Bloch), 185 Cubism definition, 380 in Hockney's work, 246 introduction, 135 palette, 216 Cullen, Countee, 167 Culture deaf awareness of, xxii history, xviii-xxi self-identity, xxii-xxiv definition, xviii systems, xviii-xix Cut-and-paste silhouettes, 19

D Dada, 165 Daguerreotype, definition, 380 Daguerreotype, Louis J.M., 380 Dali, Salvador, 259 Dark of the Moon !Miller), 305 Daumier, Honore, 364 Davidson, Morris, 212 Davis, William, 24 Deadlock !Baird), 314 The Deaf American, 208 Deaf American (Dupar), 371-372

I

I

Deaf

Artists

Digitized by

i11 America:

Google

Colo11ial

to

Conttmporary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

Deaf and Sober: Iourneys through Recovery, 307 Deaf Art Movement. see also Deaf View Image Art benefits, 298 challenges of, xxiii-xiv creation, 324--325 Deaf Baby (Williams), 321 Deaf culture awareness of, xxii behavior in, xxv history, xviii-xxi role of ASL, 339 self-identity, xxii-xxiv Deaf Dancers (Miller), 308 Deaf Given a Voice (Arnold), 175 Deaf Library (Richardson), 367 Deaf Life (Wilhite), 359 The Deaf Mute Howls, 91 Deafness Series #3-The Plight (McGregor), 353 Deaf people Aristotle on, xiv in arts, xvi-xvii discrimination, 36 Fuller case, 29-30 and motion pictures, 345 Nazis treatment of, 184-185 prejudice against, xiv-xvi prejudice against, Bell, 335 schools for, benefits, 36 Deaf Persons in Arts and Sciences, xxiii Deaf Picnic (Miller), 302 Deaf Power (Ivey), 341-342 Deaf President Now, 343 Deaf schools founding, xix Gallaudet, protest at, 343 oralism in, xix- xx

Deaf View Image Art. see also Deaf Art Movement backbone of, 307 benefits, 298 challenges of, xxiii-xiv creation, 325 growth of, 369 influence of, 336, 352 manifesto, 303-304 symbolism, 356 The Deaf Way, 346 Degas, Edgar, 70 Delacroix, Ferdinand, 82 Delaroche, Paul, 38 Demuth, Charles, 104 Dennison, James, 90 Den Stumme Malaren. see Heimbach, Wolffgang Denton, Dr. David, 232 de Predis, Christoforo, xvi Desk and Table (Lapp), 97 D'Estrella, Theophilus Hope about, 53-56 Fingerspelling Drill, 58 Her Cherry Face Made All Cares Vanish, 58-59 They Hear with Their Eyes, 57-58 Through These Halls, 57 What Is Your Idea of Music, 59-60 1 De VIA. see Deaf View Image Art di Betta di Biagio, Bernardino, xvi Dinner Party (Chicago), 326 Dirube, Rolando Lopez about, 217-220 Altered Sphere IV, 220 Blind Mirror, 222 Butcher's Table, 221 The Little Labyrinth, 221

I N D E X

Digitized by

Go ogle

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

Disabled Pueblo Girl (McGregor), 355 Doko-Ru-Ni. see Nun of the Skull (Broderson) Donahue, James, 8 7 Donahue, Peter, 8 7 Donaldson, Thomas, 13 Dorothy and Vera Andrews (Allen), 67 Dowe, Picard le, 166 Dr. Frederick C. Schrieber {Sparks), 252-253 Drypoint, 105-106, 380 Dupar, Susan about, 369-3 70 Deaf American, 3 71-3 72 Family Dog, 372 I Interesting the Hamster, 3 73 Duval, Pierre S., 2 7

E Eakins, Thomas, 48, 335 Ealy, Dr. Adolphus, xiii Early Christian Art, 380 Early Summer (Coman), 46 Easter Lily (Behnke), 281 l'Ecole des Beaux-Arts definition, 380 Edmund Pendleton (Mercer), 7 Edwards Whipple Denny (Fuller), 33 Eerily, Francis de, 224 Eglomise, definition, 380 The Eight description, 35, 380-381 exhibition, reaction to, 70 formation, 223 Einstein, Albert, 218 Elf Boy (Fisher), 349 El Greco, 76

■ Deaf

Artists

Digitized by

i11 America:

Google

Eli and Friends (Broderson), 229 Elion, Leslie, 312 Eliot, Thomas Stems, 256 Elizabeth Stone Denny (Fuller), 32 Elizabeth (Whitcomb) Gates, 21 Ellsworth, Oliver, 125-126 El Mudo. see Navarrete, Juan Fernandez Elves and the Bat Beast (Fisher), 347,349 Embrace (Lamonto), 208 Endurance of Life (Wang), 239 Engraving, definition, 381

The Enigma Unraveled: She was a Native Signer (Thornley), 332 Enos, Sarah Ann, 20 Ernst, Max, 182 Esfera Alterada. see Altered Sphere IV (Dirube) Espejo Ciego. see Blind Mirror (Dirube) Etching definition, 381 process, 105 Europia Works (McGregor), 350 Evening Glow (Redmond), 115-116 Evens, Walker, 274 Expressionism. see Abstract Expressionism; German Expressionism Expressionistic, definition, 381

F Fairbanks, Douglas, 90, 114 Family Dog (Dupar), 3 72 Family (Wang), 237

Co lo11ial

to

Contemporary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

Fanny (Negus) Fuller and Twins (Fuller), 30, 31 Farmhouse Near Waterville, New York (Coman), 47 Farnsworth, Jerry, 195 Fauntleroy, Gussie, 262, 265 Fauvism definition, 381 use of color, 2 78 Feeding the Babes (Allen), 63 Feud, Sigmund, 382 Field of Poppies (Redmond), 117 Figurative, definition, 381 Fingerspelling Drill (D'Estrella), 58 Fish All Ready (Sayre), 204 Fisher, Mark about, 345-348 The Deaf Way, 346 Elf Boy, 349 Elves and the Bat Beast, 347,349 Freddie Fish, 346 King and I, 34 7 King of the Hill, 347 Pied Piper, 349 Starman, 348 Fixing the Bowsprit (Quinlan), 131 Flower Market, Moscow (Freiman), 197 Flower of Language (Buzgalo), 340 Flying Fish (Wang), 240 Flynt, Suzanne L., 62, 64, 65 Focal point, definition, 381 Fogarty, Thomas, 267 Folk Art criticism of, 94 definition, 381

description, 1 goals of, 8 For Better or For Worse, 365 Ford, John, 91 Foreshortening, definition, 381 Form, definition, 382 Fortuny, Mariano, 49 Forum '49, 136 Four Cherries (Peterson), 264 Franklin, Benjamin, 162 Freddie Fish (Fisher), 346, 347 Freed, Ernest, 207 Freedom to Speak Out in ASL (Silver), 328 Free-standing sculpture, definition, 382 Freiman, Robert about, 194-197 Arbres il Tailoires, 199 Au Palais de Fontenblue, Paris, 198 Flower Market, Moscow, 197 Freud, Sigmund, 254 Frisino, Elaine, 231 Frisino, Louis Francis Xavier about, 230-232 On the Alert, 232, 233 Brown Trout, 231 Gazing Pig, 234 Resting Whistling Swans, 234 Ring-billed Gulls, 232, 233 Fulcher, Bobby, 200, 201 Fuller, Augustus about, 28-29 arrest of, 29-30 Edwards Whipple Denny (Fuller), 33 Elizabeth Stone Denny, 32 Fanny (Negus) Fuller and Twins,30,31

I N D E X

Digitized by

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

Lois Ann Taylor, 31, 32 Mary Bemis Fuller, 29, 30 Fuller, George, 29 Futurism, definition, 382

G Gallaudet, Edward Miner, 120 Gallaudet, Rev. Thomas Hopkins, 119 bust of (Hannan), 120-121, 122 monument to (Newsam), 25 Peale and, 5 portrait (Ballin), 90, 92-93 son, 119 Gallaudet, Sophia Fowler, 120 Gallaudet, Thomas, 90 Gao, Jiatu, 236 Geiger, Jessica about,292-294 The Bible Says, 294 Bobby, 295 A Shattered Life, 296 Generations (McGregor), 355 Genre, definition, 382 Geometrical permutations, definition, 382 German Expressionism. see also Abstract Expressionism definition, 381, 382 emotions, conveying, 364-365 Nazis opposition, 184 purpose, 187 use of color, 2 78 Germone, Jean Leon, 48 Get Out (Richardson), 368 Giacometti, Alberto, 208, 289 Gibson, F.P., 120 Giotto, 71 Girl in Blue (Prendergast), 72, 73 Gleizes, Albert, 135

□ Deaf

Artists

Digitized by

in

America

Google

Going Home (Rappazzo), 291 The Golden Age, 84 Golden section, 135, 382 Gombrich, E. H., 235-236 Gothic architecture, definition, 382-383 Gothic art, definition, 383 Gourd, definition, 383 Goya, de, Francisco, 158 deafness, effects on art, xvi-xvii Hockey on, 243-244 The Third of May, 339 Gradation, definition, 383 Grand Canal (Washburn), 106 Grandfather Clock (Wilhite), 362,363 Graphics, definition, 383 Gazing Pig !Frisino), 234 Greek Art, 383 Green Corn Dance, Taos (Sharp), 80 Griffith, Raymond, 114 The Gross Clinic !Eakins), 335 Grosz, George, 182, 218 Group of Eleven, 166 Growing with ASL (Miller), 309 Guerin, Charles, 134 Gutenberg, Johann, 162

H Hackett, Regina, 2 79 Haeseler, Conrad Frederick about, 123-125 The Height of the Blizzard, 123 Honorable fohn Wanamaker, 127 Oliver Ellsworth, 125-126 The Ploughman, 123

: Colonial

to

Contrmporary

Original from

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

Rudolph Blankenburg, 125 Thomas Eakins, 127 Hals, Frans, 104 Hamilton, Lillian, 300 Hamilton, Neil, 90 Hamilton, William, 23 Hanau, Jean, 157, 158 about, 166-168 The Birth of Venus, 167 Circus Performers Seated at a Table Approached by a Young Woman Carrying an Empty Bowl, 168-169 Male and Female Circus Performers, 168, 169 Napoleon, 170 Notre Dame , 170 Hannan, Eugene Elmer Abbe, Charles Michele de L'Epee, 121-122 about, 118-120 Rev. Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, 120-121 Reverend Thomas Gallaudet , 122 William Sulzer, 121 Harding, Chester, 28 Haring, Keith, 326 Harlem Renaissance, 297, 383 Harrison, Joseph, 15 Hassam, Childe, 113 HEARING-IMPAIRED , Wrong Way/DEAF: Right Way (Silver), 327 Heart of Silence, 191 The Height of the Blizzard (Haeseler), 123 Heimbach, Wolffgang, xvi Helen Keller 's Breakthrough (LaMonto), 209

Helm MacKinley, 225 Her Cherry Face Made All Cares Vanish (D'Estrella), 58-59 Hex, definition, 383 High relief, definition, 383 Hill, Thomas, 54 Hines, Diane Casella, 226 Hitchcock, Senator Gilbert, 151 Hitler, Adolf, 182 Hockney, David, 2 73 about, 241-244 Iowa , 246 Kerby (After Hogarth) Useful Knowledge,246-247 Mulholland Drive: The Road to the Studio, 247-248 The Rake's Progress, 241-244 Snail Space, 244 A Walk Around the Hotel Courtyard , Acatlan, 243 Water Pouring into a Swimming Pool, Santa Monica, 245 Hofmann, Hans, 136 Hogarth, William, 24 7 Hollow-cut silhouettes, 19 Holy Mary after Leonardo da Vinci (Broderson), 226 Homer, Winslow, 69 Honorable fohn Wanamaker (Haeseler), 126-127 Hopper, Edward, 104, 263 Hubbard, Eva E., 134 Huddle, W.H., 156 Huddy, William B., 27 Hudson River School, 383 description, 35 founders, 44 Hue, definition, 383-384 Hughes, Dr . Frederick H., 151-152

■

I N D E X

Digitized by

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

Hughes, Regina Olsen about, 150-153 Begonia Evansiana, 155 Bromelaceae Billbergia Reginae, 153-154 luly Afternoon, 153, 154 Stokesia Laevis, 155 Hughes, Robert, 4 Humanism, definition, 384 Huuanghaoche (Bloch), 183

I Idealism, definition, 384 I Interesting the Hamster (Dupar), 3 73 Illusionism, definition, 384 I Looked Over Tordan (Stevens), 160 Imagists, definition, 384 Impressionism aspirations of, 35 definition, 384-385 focus, 112 influence of, 70 use of color, 278 In Der Nacht (Bloch), 184, 185 Intaglio, definition, 385 Intensity, definition, 385 Intermezzo (Kowalewski), 192,193 The Interpreter (Sharp), 79 Iowa (Hockney), 246 Iris (Behnke), 279 Isaac Lewis Peet (Ballin), 92 Italian High Renaissance, 385 Ivey, Lee S. about, 341-342 Deaf Power, 341-342 NCSD Closet, 343 Why Me!, 344 Window of My Life, 341

rm

D eaf

A rt is t s in

Digitized by

Americ

Google

J Jackson, Andrew, 20, 22, 25 Jackson, Michael, 331 Jameson, Arthur H., 69 fames Prince (Brewster), 11 Japanese Art, 385 Japanese culture, 326-327 lazz Composition , BABA fl #4 (Lazzell), 138 ferusalem 's Story (Newman), 213 Johnson, Dr. Paul, 25 Johnson, Lyndon Baines, 184 Johnston, Benjamin, 64 fohn the Baptist (LaMonto), 208 Joie de vivre, definition, 385 Joyce, James, 196 fuly Afternoon (Hughes), 153,154

K Kabuki, 227 Kannapell, Dr. Barbara, 300 Keller, Helen, 145, 209 Kensett, John, 263 Kerby (After Hogarth) Useful Knowledge (Hockney), 246-247 King and I (Fisher), 34 7 King of Hearts, 313 King of the Hill (Fisher), 347 Kirby, Joshua [or Kerby?), 247 Kirchner, Ernst Ludwig, 184 Klein, Max, 8 7 Knock at Midnight (Bloch), 187-188 Kokoschka, Oscar, 182 Kol Demaina, 33 7 Kooning, de, Willem, 266 Kowalewski, Felix, 208 about, 189- 191 a .- C o l on i a l

l o C ontemporary Original from

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, 190 Chapel Hall 1937, 191 Chapel Hall 1942, 191-192 Intermezzo, 192, 193 Nad;a, 192 Secrets, 193 Still Life, 190 Kristalnacht, 187 Kumiyoshi, Jashou, 218

1 Lady at Piano (Sparks), 253 Lady Godiva (LaMonto), 209,210 La Farge, John, 69 LA Inner Vision II (Williams), 322-223 Lament for Ignacio Sanchez II (Broderson), 227 LaMonto, Frederick about, 207-209 Adam and Eve, 208 Embrace, 208 Helen Keller's Breakthrough,209 Tohn the Baptist, 208 Lady Godiva, 209, 210 Leda and the Swan, 208 Matador, 210 The Ten Commandments, 208 The Three Graces, 208 The Land Before Time, 346 Landis, Cullen, 91 Landscape with Figures (Prendergast), 71 Lang, Harry G., 22 7, xxiii Lapp, Henry about, 95-96 Barn, 96

Blank Geburts and Taufschein, 98 A Cow, 99 Desk and Table, 97 Strawberries, 97 Whitman's Fountain Pump, 98 The Last Stop (Bloch), 188 Laurent Clerc (Carlin), 41 Lawrence, Jacob, 364 Lazzell, Blanche about, 133-136 Tazz Composition, BABAT! #4, 138 Non-Ob;ective (B), 136, 137 The Pile Driver, 138 The Seine Boat, 136, 137 The Learners (Arnold), 181 Leda and the Swan (LaMonto), 208 Leger, Fernand, 135 Lemons and a Stainless Bowl (Peterson), 265 Lemons (Redmond), 110-111, 114-115 Leonard, William J., 134 L'Epee, Abbe, Charles de, 121-122 Les Demoiselles d'Avignon (Braque), 135 Les Promenades d'Euclid (Magritte), 259 Letters and Notes of the Manners, Customs and Conditions of the North American Indians, 14 Lhote, Andre, 135 Liechtenstein, Roy, 2 73 Limning, 4-5 Lincoln, Abraham, 36, 39 Lingnan style, 236 Linked Ring, 62

I N D E X

Digitized by

Google

Original from

■

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

Lipschitz, Jacques, 182, 212 Lithography commercial, 23 definition, 385 description, 23 The Little Labyrinth (Dirube), 221 The Little Mermaid, 346 Lizzie's Dream (Broderson), 227 Logan, Jacqueline, 91 Lois Ann Taylor (Fuller), 31,32 Looking Inward (Bergman), 269 Lorca, Garcia, 226 Lower Two Medicine Lake (Clarke), 141 Luminists, definition, 385

M The Magic Lantern Man, 56 Magritte, Rene, 259 Mah-to-he-hah, Old Bear, a medicine Man (Catlin), 15-16 Make Me to Know Thy Ways 0 Lord, Teach Me Thy Paths (Arnold), 179 Making Squash Babies (Allen), 63 Male and Female Circus Performers (Hanau), 168, 169 Manet, Edouard, 70 Manhattan Excavations (Quinlan), 128 Mapplethrope, Robert, 326 Mary Bemis Fuller (Fuller), 30 Mary Virginia Greenway and William Henry Greenway (Carlin), 39, 40 Masaccio, 85

t :•_ .]

D e af

A r

Digitized by

I

is

I

s i

11

A mcri r a :

Google

Masada (Newman), 216 Matador (LaMonto), 210 Matin d'Hiver (Redmond), 111-112, 115 Matisse, Henri, 62, 71, 248 Maxcy, Christy MacKinnon about, 144-146 Silent Observer, works from, 147-149 Maxcy, John, 145 Maxwell, Everett C ., 113 Mayers, Gary about, 283-285 Bowling Balls, 286 Chessmen, 286, 287 Pelagic Series, 286, 28 7 Untitled, 285 McDaniel, Lemuel, 249 McGinnis, Henry, 156 McGregor, Tony Landon about,350-353 Deafness Series #3The Plight, 353 Disabled Pueblo Girl, 355 Europia Works, 350 Generations, 355 Octagonally Plotted, 354 Three Southwestern Signs, 356 McN eill, Herman, 119 Meath-Lang, Bonnie, 227 Mechanics (Tilden), 87-88 Medieval Art, 385 Medium, definition, 386 Meissonier, Jean-Louis Ernest, 49 Memories (Broderson), 228, 229 Menacing Figure (Newman), 214, 215 Mendij, 208

Co lo11ial

to

Conttmporary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

Mercer, Hugh, 3-4 Mercer, William about, 3-5

The Battle of Princeton, 6 Edmund Pendleton, 7 Mrs. lohn Gordon, 7 Messer, Edmund C., 156 Michelangelo, 85 Midshipman loseph Stallings (Catlin), 14 Milan, Italy (Thornley), 332, 333 Milan conference, xx Miller, Arthur, 114 Miller, Dr. Betty G., 300,311, 324,336,342 about, 304-307 American Sign Language Past, Present, and Future, 310 Ameslan Prohibited, 308 Dark of the Moon, 305 Deaf Dancers, 308 Growing with ASL, 309 My Third Eye, 306 research by, 319 work, humor in, 369 Miller, Ralph R. Sr., 304 about, 299-300 An Interpreter, 301 A Clown Stopped by Police for Speeding, 301 Deaf Picnic, 302 Minimalism, definition, 386 Miro, Joan, 391 Mirror in Back (Behnke), 279 Mirror in the Sitting Room (Behnke), 280 Mix, Tom, 91 Modeling, definition, 386 Model in Red (Thornley), 332 Modern Art, 101, 386

Monet, Claude, 82, 261-262, 279, 280 Money Lender (Washburn), 109

Moonlight over Hernandez (Adams), 262 Moonlight Seascape (Redmond), 116-117 Moore, Harry Humphrey, 89 about, 48-50 Moorish Bazaar, 49 No Rose without a Thorn, 51 The Pacha 's Saddle, 49 The Sentinel on Duty, 49 Spanish Courtyard (Moorish Dyers, Tehran), 50-51 Street in Algiers, 49 Study for Glimpse into the Pleasure Quarters, 52 Woman Playing Guitar, 51-52 Moore, Henry, 208, 217, 283 Moorish Bazaar (Moore), 49 Morisot, Berthe, 43 Morning Grey (Allen), 67 Motif, definition, 386 Motion Pictures, 113, 345 Mountain Goat (Clarke), 142 Mowing at Evening (Allen), 66 Mrs. lohn Gordon (Mercer), 7 Mugnaini, Joseph, 207 Mulholland Drive: the Road to the Studio (Hockney), 247-248 Mulligan, Charles James, 119 "The Mute's Lament " 38 Muybridge, Eadweard, 54 My Eyes Are My Ears (Williams), 319 My Eye (Williams), 321-322 My Family History (Bloch), 187 My Third Eye (Miller), 306 I

I N D E X

Digitized by

Google

Original from

■

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

N Nad;a (Kowalewski), 192 Napoleon (Hanau), 170 National Association of the Deaf, 101-102 National Theatre of the Deaf, 313 Native Americans, 14-15, 77 Naturalism, definition, 386 Naudin, Bernard, 166 Navarrete, Juan Fernandez, xvi N azarov, Alexander, 341-342 Nazis, 182-183, 187, 378 NCSD Closet (Ivey), 343 Neiman, LeRoy, 326 Neoclassicism, 35, 386 Neo-Platonism, 357-358, 386 Never again. see In Der Nacht (Bloch) Newman, Henry about, 211-213 ferusalem's Story, 213 Masada, 216 Menacing Figure, 214, 215 Untitled, 214, 215 Upheaval #2, 215 Newsam, Albert, 383 about, 23-25 Andrew fackson, 25, 26 Portrait of an Unidentified Man, 25,26 Portrait of an Unidentified Woman, 26, 27 Sparkling Champagne, 2 7 New York Public Library (Quinlan), 132 Nicholas, William, 112-113 Noguchi, Isamu, 284 Nolde, Emil, 184

c~: -.j D

eaf

A r

Digitized by

t ;

st s i n

Non-objective, definition, 386 Non-Objective (B) (Lazzell), 136, 137 Non-representational art, definition, 386 No Rose without a Thorn (Moore), 51 Nostalgic Yearning (Wang),233 Notre Dame (Hanau), 170 NTD . see National Theatre of the Deaf Nuclides, Kimono, 224 Nun of the Skull (Broderson), 225,227-228

0 O'Brien, George, 90 Octagonally Plotted (McGregor), 354 O'Hara, Eliot, 195 O'Keeffe, Georgia, 62, 104, 134,262 The Old German Free School (Stevens), 160 Old Masters, 387 Oliver Ellsworth (Haeseler), 125-126 On a Date (Baird), 317 One Shoe Off (Brewster), 12 Only Lives in Water (Buzgalo), 339 On the Alert (Frisino), 232, 233 Op Art, 387 Oralism, 91, 101-102 Orchids (Behnke), 279 Our President, Old Hickory, 22

p The Pacha's Saddle (Moore), 49 Painterly, definition, 387

A m e r i c a : Co lonial

Google

to

Conttmporary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

Palatte, Raphael. see Carlin, John Pavarotti, Luciano, 2 74 Peale, Charles William reputation, 4 training, 5 Peale, James, 6 Pearl Dotson Visiting (Sayre), 205,206 Pedius, Quintus, xvi Peeking (Bergman), 268, 269 Peet, Isaac Lewis, 92 Peikoff, David, 325 Pelagic Series (Mayers), 286, 287 Performance artists, 325 Perkins, Clifford D., 119 Persistence of Memory (Dali), 259 Perspective, definition, 387 Peterdi, Gabor, 218 Peterson, Robert Baard about, 261-263 Four Cherries, 264 Lemons and a Stainless Bowl, 265 Red Onion, 265 Three Pipes, 264 Phelan, James Duval, 83 Phillips, Bert, 76 Photography arguments over, 61-62 etymology, 35-36 on platinum paper, 65 Photojournalism, definition, 38 7 Photorealism, 273, 387 Picasso, Pablo, 135, 165, 196, xiii Bull's Head, 211 collage assemblage, 211 Cubism development by, 380 images used by, 333

Still Life with Chair Canning, 211 Pickford,Mary,90, 114 Pictorialism, 61, 387 Picture plane, definition, 38 7 Picturesque, definition, 387 Pied Piper (Fisher), 349 Pigeon's Egghead (The Light) Going to and Returning from Washington (Catlin), 16-17 The Pile Driver (Lazzell), 138 Pinturicchio, xvi Pissarro, Camille, 70, 111 Plastic elements, definition, 38 7 Platinum paper, 65 Plein air artists, definition, 38 7 Pliny the Elder, xvi The Ploughman (Haeseler), 123 Pollock, Jackson, 266, 375 Pond, William, 365 The Pond (Behnke), 279, 280, 281 Pop Art, 242, 273, 387-388 Portrait of an Unidentified Man (Newsam), 25, 26 Portrait of an Unidentified Woman (Newsam), 26, 2 7 The Portrait of My Father (Rappazzo), 290 Portraiture, 4-5 Post-Impressionism, 388 Post-Minimalism, 388 Prendergast, Lucy Catherine, 68 Prendergast, Maurice about, 68-71 Beach at Gloucester, 73-74 Central Park, 70 Girl in Blue, 72, 73 Landscape with Figures, 71 school records of, 111

■

I N D E X

Digitized by

Go ogle

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

The Terrace Bridge, the Mall Central Park, 72 Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, 35 Primary colors, definition, 388 Primitive, definition, 388 Primitive art classic example, 146 description, 28 The Prince and the Pauper, 346 Professor Gustinus Ambrosi (Sparks), 251, 252 Proportion, definition, 388 Proud Big Horn (Clarke), 141-142 Psychic automatism, definition, 388 "The Psychology of a Chrysalis," 104 Pure color, definition, 388

Q Quinlan, Will about, 128-130 Broad Street New York City, 132 Fixing the Bowsprit, 131 Manhattan Excavations, 128 New York Public Library, 132 Washington Heights, 130-131 Quiet Supper (Behnke), 282

R The Rake 's Progress (Hockney), 241-244 Rankin , Tom,200,201 The Rape (Broderson), 225 Rappazzo, Mary A. about, 288- 289 Going Hom e, 291 The Portrait of M y Father, 290

r·_] Deaf

A rt ists

Digitized by

ill

Ame

Google

The Three Figures, 289, 290 Reagan, President Ronald, 215 Realism American, definition, 376 in American painting, 124, 129,230 appeal, loss, 112 definition, 388 photo, 273, 387 shock of, 223 social, 390 symobolic, 196 Reception/Deception (Bloch), 188 Redmond, Granville about, 110-114 California Landscape, 112 Evening Glow, 115-116 Field of Poppies, 117 Lemons, 110-111, 114-115 Matin d'Hiver , 111-112, 115 Moonlight Seascape, 116-117 Red Onion (Peterson), 265 Reed, Robert, 152-153 Relaxing Companionship . see They Hear with Their Eyes (D'Estrella) Rembrandt , 105-106, xiii Renaissance Art, 389 Rennie, Debbie, 3 70 Representational art, definition, 389 Reredos (Arnold), 180 Resin , definition, 389 Respite (Bergman), 270 Resting Whist ling Swans (Frisino), 234 Rev. Thomas Hopkins Gallaud et (Hannan), 120-121 Reverend Thomas Gallaudet (Ballin), 92-93

r ica : Co l o n ia l to

C ontemporar

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

y

Reverend Thomas Gallaudet (Hannan), 122 Richardson, Shawn about, 364--366 Baby Talk, 367 Buy Mel I Know Sign Language, 366,367 Deaf Library, 367 Get Out, 368 Ring-billed Gulls (Frisino), 232,233 Rising Wolf Mountain (Clarke), 141 Riva, Luca, xvi Rockerfeller, John D. Jr., 140 Rockwell, Norman, 250 Rococo Art, 389 Rodin, Auguste, 208, 283 Roman Art, 389 Roman Catholic Church, 385 Romanesque architecture, definition, 389 Romantic art, definition, 389-390 Romanticism American, characteristics, 14 definition, 390, xvi dominance, 35 Roosevelt, Theodore, 77 Rosen, Charles, 134 Rothko, Mark, 212, 266, 357,359 Rousseau, Henri, 146 Rudolph Blankenburg (Haeseler), 125 Russell, Clarence Jr., 306

s Sadat, President Anwar, 215 Saragossa, Colonel Cistue of, 49

Sarah Prince (Brewster), 9 Sarg, Tony, 195 Sargent, John Singer, 250, 253 Sayre, Maggie Lee about, 20~203 Butch Sitting Up on the Houseboat Porch, 203-204 Children at Tom Creek in Tennessee, 205 Fish All Ready, 204 Pearl Dotson Visiting, 205,206 View of the Sayre Houseboat, 204 Schiele, Egon, 364 School, definition, 390 Schrieber, Dr . Frederick C., 252-253 The Scratchsides Family, 38 Sculptures limitations, 118 moving, 390-391 in the round, definition, 390 Seated Woman (Bergman), 271 Secession Movement, 61-62 Secrets (Kowalewski), 193 Segal, George, 289 The Seine Boat (Lazzell), 136, 137 Seixas, David G., 3 7 Senefelder, Aloys, 23 The Sentinel on Duty (Moore), 49 Sepia, definition, 390 Sharp, Joseph Henry about, 75-77 Chief Deaf Bull, 78 Green Corn Dance, Taos, 80 The Interpreter, 79

I N D E X

Digitized by

Google

Original from

■

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

Winter Sports, 78 Sheeler, Charles, 104 Sheridan, General Philip H., 119 Silent Observer, works from, 147-149 Silhouettes, 19 Silhouettists, 390 Silkscreen, definition, 390 Silver, Ann about, 324-32 7 Freedom to Speak Out in ASL, 328 HEARING-IMPAIRED, Wrong Way/DEAF: Right Way, 327 Will the Real Goya Please Stand Upl, 328, 329 Ski Shop (Baird), 316, 317 Snail Space (Hockney), 244 Snow White, 345 Social Realism, definition, 390 The Song of Love (de Chirico), 323 Soothsayer's Recompense (de Chirico), 323 Sorolla, Joaquin, 104 The Sound of Music, 2 74 Spanish Courtyard (Moorish Dyers, Tehran) (Moore), 50-51 Spanish Girl. see Woman Playing Guitar (Moore) Sparkling Champagne (Newsam), 27 Sparks, William about, 249-250 Bath Doll in Red Pail, 251 Dr. Frederick C. Schrieber, 252-253 Lady at Piano, 253

□

Deaf

Arti

Digitized by

Professor Gustinus Ambrosi, 251,252 Square in Verona (Washburn), 106 St. Patrick Cathedral, 129 Stabile, definition, 390-391 Standing Bear and Seated Bear (Clarke), 143 Standing Bear (Clarke), 143 Starman (Fisher), 348 The Statue of Our Lady (Arnold), 178 Stavrinos, George, 326 Stay Tuned, 346 Steadman, William E., 228 Steiger, Howard, 195 Stella, Frank, 357, 359 Stella, Joseph, 104 Stevens, Kelly H. about, 156-158 Basque Fisherman "Ondarroa," 158, 159 I Looked Over Iordan, 160 The Old German Free School, 160 Street in Taxco, 158, 159 Stieglitz, Alfred, 61, 62, 63 Still Life (Kowalewski), 190 Still Life with Chair Canning (Picasso), 211 Stokesia Laevis (Hughes), 155 Stakoe, William C., xx Strawberries (Lapp), 97 Street in Taxco (Stevens), 158, 159 Street in Algiers (Moore), 49 Study for Glimpse into the Pleasure Quarters (Moore), 52 Study of the Earth (Wilhite), 362 Style moderne. see Art Deco

s t s i n Am e r ic a : C olonial

Go ogle

to

Conttmporary

Original from

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

Subject, definition, 391 The Suitor (Carlin), 42 Sullivan, Anne G., 209 Sullivan, Charles Carroll about, 161-163 Bulletin Building Facade Reliefs, 164 family cemetery plot, 163 Sulzer, William, 121 Sunset on Rocks (Washburn), 109 Surrealism appeal to deaf artist, 2 72 definition, 391 Freud's influence, 254 purpose, 165 The Swan Princess, 346 Symbolism, definition, 391 Symmetrical balance, definition, 391 Symobolic realism, 196

T Tachibana, Sahomi, 32 7 Tea in the Afternoon (Bergman), 268 The Temple at Kitano in Tokyo (Washburn), 108 Temptation of St. lim (Canning), 259 The Ten Commandments (LaMonto), 208 The Terrace Bridge, the Mall Central Park (Prendergast), 72 They Hear with Their Eyes (D'Estrella), 57-58 The Third of May (Goya), 339 Thomas Eakins (Haeseler), 127 Thompson, Harry, 44

Thornley, Mary about, 330--333 Alexander Graham Bell or Deafness as Pathology, 334,335 The Enigma Unraveled: She was a Native Signer, 332 Milan, Italy, 332, 333 Model in Red, 332 Two Deaf Musicians, 335 Why People Are Afraid of Me, 334,335 The Three Figures (Rappazzo), 289,290 The Three Graces (LaMonto), 208 Three Pipes (Peterson), 264 Three Southwestern Signs (McGregor), 356 Through These Halls (D'Estrella), 57 Thumbelina, 346 Tiffany, Louis Comfort, 165-166,376 Tilden, Douglas, 105, 114 about, 81-85 Admission Day, 83 The Baseball Player, 82, 85-86 The Bear Hunt, 82, 87 Mechanics, 8 7-88 The Tired Boxer, 85, 86 The Tired Wrestler, 82 The Young Acrobat, 82 The Tired Boxer (Tilden), 85, 86 The Tired Wrestler (Tilden), 82 Titian, 71 Tolstoy, Leo, 226 Tonalism definition, 391 examples, 115

I N D E X

Digitized by

Google

Original from

■

UNIVERSITYOF MICHIGAN

style of, 112 Toulouse-Lautrec, Henri de, 70 The Tramp, 113

Tribute to Winslow Homer (Broderson), 22 7 Tubman, Harriet, 364 Two Deaf Musicians (Thornley), 335

u Udall, Steward L., 191

Un Marche de Tanger (Washburn), 105 Upheaval #2 (Newman), 215 Useful Knowledge !Hockney), 246-247

V Valli, Clayton, 370 Value, definition, 392 van Gogh, Vincent, 72 Vasari, Giorgio, 106 Velasquez, Diego, 104 Vernier, Emile, 44

View of the Sayre Houseboat !Sayre), 204 Vinci, Leonardo da, 224, xvi

w Walker, Lou Ann, xxi Wanamaker, John, 124, 126 Wang, Daniel about, 236-23 7 Endurance of Life, 239 Family, 237 Flying Fish, 240 Nostalgic Yearning, 233 Warhol, Andy, 242, 261, 326 Warm colors, definition, 392

Warning, Painting not Edible

l .__1D e a f ir.

A rt ist s

Digitized by

i

11

A meri ca:

Google

(Wildbank),277 Warshaw,Howard, 224 Washburn, Cadwallader Lincoln about, 103-107 Buddhist Priest, 107-108 Casa Cecchino, 106 Casad' Oro, 106 Grand Canal, 106 Money Lender, 109 Square in Verona, 106 Sunset on Rocks, 109 The Temple at Kitano in Tokyo, 108 Un Marche de Tanger, 105 Woman in the Panama Hat, 108-109 Washington, George, 4 Washington Heights (Quinlan), 130-131 Watercolor, definition, 392 Water Pouring into a Swimming Pool, Santa Monica !Hockney), 245 Waugh, Samuel B., 48 The Wedding of the Rivers (Arnold), 174 Welty, Eudora, 201 What Is Your Idea of Music (D'Estrella), 59-60 Whistler, James Abbot McNeill, 68, 105, 111 Whitcomb, James Hosley about, 19-20 Elizabeth (Whitcomb) Gates, 21 Our President, Old Hickory, 22 Whitman's Fountain Pump (Lapp), 98

Colonial

to

Contemporary

Original from

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

Why Met (Baird), 313, 315 Why Met (Ivey), 344 Why People Are Afraid of Me (Thornley), 334, 335 Wildbank, Charles Bourke about, 272-275

Warning, Painting not Edible, 277 The Winter of '92, 275-276 Woman in Mirror, 275-276 Wilhite, Alex about, 35 7-360

Blue Raindrops, 363 Box of Fire, 359 Climax of Red, 361 Deaf Life, 359 Design for Accessibility, cover for, 360 Grand/ ather Clock, 362, 363 Study of the Earth, 362 Untitled, 360, 361 Wilkinson, Warring, 53-53 Willard, Tom, 255

William Henry Prince (Brewster), 11 Williams, Harry R., 324, 336 about, 318-319 The Birth of Venus, 320 Coffin Door II, 323 Deaf Baby, 321 LA Inner Vision II, 322-223 My Eye, 321-322 My Eyes Are My Ears, 319 Williams, Tennessee, 196

Williams, Virgil, 54, 55 William Sulzer (Hannan), 121

Will the Real Goya Please Stand Up/ (Silver), 328, 329 Wilson, Gwen, 292, 293, 294 Window of My Life (Ivey), 341 The Winter of '92 (Wildbank), 275-276 Winter Sports (Sharp), 78 Woman in Mirror (Wildbank), 275-276

Woman in the Panama Hat (Washburn), 108-109 Woman Playing Guitar (Moore), 51-52

Woman with Teapot (Bergman), 268 Women artist, 43. see also indi-

vidual artists Women (Mayers), 284. "The Working Mind of a Spider," 103-104 World War II (Arnold), 176, 177

y You and I, 191 You'd Be Surprised, 114 The Young Acrobat (Tilden), 82

z Zubiaurre, Ramon de, 119, 158 Zubiaurre, Valentine de, 119, 158

■

I N D E X

Digitized by

Google

Original from

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN