Hira Basat

Graphic Design, Fine Art, Animation and Game Art, Photography & Moving Image, Textiles & Fashion (Blackburn) | Year 3 | Degree: Textiles

Deaf artists - From struggle to success

The focus of my project is Deaf culture. An important subject to me as a profoundly Deaf person myself. All my life I have faced barriers due to being Deaf.
The recent appearance of a Deaf person on a mainstream television show has thrust Deafness and Deaf culture into the spotlight. Something that will be investigated through my work.
My research will investigate the work of four Deaf artists. Two artists from America and two from Manchester. Interestingly, the two artists from America include examples of American Sign Language (ASL) in their work. However, the artists from Manchester do not. The American artists appear to be very proud of their Deaf identity and Deaf culture and portray this through their work. The work from the Manchester Deaf artists is vastly different to their American counterparts. It would be impossible to know they were Deaf through their artwork alone.
Four specific areas of focus; Communication, International Sign Language, Gesture and Awareness. Deaf people CAN do anything hearing people can. Therefore, my research aims to investigate Deaf culture, identify Deaf people within the creative arts, portray the work of Deaf artists, the skills that they have, and that Deafness should be celebrated.

Hira Basat

More information

Hira Basat

Graphic Design, Fine Art, Animation and Game Art, Photography & Moving Image, Textiles & Fashion (Blackburn) | Year 3 | Degree: Textiles

Deaf artists - From struggle to success

A section on Aims & Objectives

The dissertation will focus on how Deaf culture is becoming more visible in the art world. This will break down into different topics; to find different Deaf artists from the United Kingdom (UK) and United States of America (USA) and compare their artwork, to investigate the Deaf community including levels of deafness, culture, and identity. This will include two different perspectives on deafness; both medical and cultural.

First chapter will cover the meaning of ‘artist’ in general and the depth of artwork all over the world including famous artists and the television/film industry. This research will then mostly focus on the Deaf artists in the UK, as there are not many recognised disabled artists. The barriers they face need to be investigated.

These two countries will be compared to find out which one recognises more Deaf artists and will show how many artists from these countries are well known around the world.

The next topic will cover the different communication methods that Deaf artists use daily. These are British Sign Language (BSL) and American Sign Language (ASL) in order to find out how they use their communication method within the art and textiles industry. This aims to find out how they started their careers and how they achieved their goals as artists, including who influenced them. Therefore, their histories and backgrounds will also be researched.

The UK is a small country compared to the USA, therefore there may be issues with the barriers preventing Deaf artists from being recognised. For example, Rose Ayling-Ellis recently won Strictly Come Dancing, her famous dancing with silent sounds has impacted on hearing people across the UK (broadcastnow, 2022).

This dissertation will focus on Deaf culture and how Deaf people face difficulties in a hearing world; therefore, I will use my Deaf experiences in this dissertation. This means I will use ‘I’, so I can explain how DAs can influence me as a DA.

Literature Review

Two American Deaf Artists

In this chapter, four Deaf artists will be explored. The way that they create their art and show their deafness will be looked at and discussed. Four artists will be split into two groups: two American artists and two British Artists. Furthermore, there will be four paintings by each artist.

Starting with this American Deaf artist, Chuck Baird who was born on 22^nd February 1947 in Kansas City and died on 10^th February 2012 in Texas.

Baird’s art background involved Gallaudet University and the Rochester Institute of Technology, where he received his Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Painting in 1974. He also spent five summers at the National Theatre of the Deaf (NTD) to paint their sets and at the same time, he developed his art. As a result, he had his first major exhibition at the World Federation of the Deaf Conference (WFD) in Washington DC in 1975.

Baird was very proud of America and loves using American Sign Language (ASL) signs for his paintings. His hands are always depicted in his art.

Chuck Baird admired one artist’s technique, called Wayne Thiebaud as Thiebaud used ‘’multi-coloured affect rainbow-spectrum effect the delineation of objects and the portrayal of three-dimensional things’' and Baird also had his idol; Michael C. McMuillen who is a miniature artist (Deafart.org, 2021).

The four chosen paintings are included, however there is not enough information about when they were painted/created, therefore the paintings will be described with different speculations and explanations.

1st painting; A flower with the ASL sign for ‘flower’. The background with colours faded helped to bring an opened flower with the ASL sign to stand out. This sounds like a flower released/revealed to be proud. This could be a representation of a flower growing up from a seed to a beautiful flower. This could be why Baird wanted to introduce ASL signs as art.

2nd painting: Two hands are together means an ASL sign and the colours of the hands are represented for the American flag. The land represents cowboy films such as sandy dessert with brushes between. They are like farm land. The colours of the flag

were very colourful and bright; using red, white stripes, and blue background and white stars, but the land was less colourful; using brown land with dull green

brushes.

The colour of the sky looks very cool and calming. Also, it balances well, starting from the top, it is strong blue and changes to light blue, moving down to the bottom/touching the surface of the land.

3rd painting; It shows a sunset/dawn, using hands to sign ‘sunset’. Baird used faded colours with purple, pink and grey for the sky and the sun shining through was orange and yellow through clouds. He used these colours to show different emotions such as warm and cosy.

4th painting; ‘Fingershell’. This shows a turtle mother with her three little turtles. Baird used an ASL sign for a turtle. This could be an educational painting to teach people to learn to sign ‘turtle’ so hearing people can understand. Another reason would be Baird’s favourite pet? This is a very detailed painting and rustic. The grass was also very detailed and realistic. The colours and patterns of the turtles’ shells were specific and warm using different shades of brown such as dark and light tans.

‘Baird incorporated ASL into many of his pieces, helping to bridge the gap between the Hearing and Deaf worlds’ (ASL Deafined, 2019). (I added this quote because it's relevant).

Eloise Schneider Mote

There is no information about her personal background except that she has got a cochlear implant and her Facebook profile discusses her art work. Also, she works as a Teacher of the Deaf and special needs. This means she is an educator and also an illustrator. She was recognised for her art; I Can Say That book and Jesus is Born books. She uses ASL in several paintings as she loves her art to reflect her love for deaf children.

Artist statements have mentioned that her paintings, prints, giclees, and canvas prints have ‘the classic beauty and style of antiques’. For example, she includes antique jewellery, tools, hats, musical instruments or frames into her art creations (Eloise Schneider Mote, 2021). She also accepts commissions from different people who wish her to paint a specific family piece, such as grandpa's old watch.

She was featured in Lee Magazine and Sunshine Artist Magazine as well as in newspapers and on television and has won numerous awards.

1st painting; ‘Mother’ (2013). The sign for mother in ASL was shown in this painting. The colours are strong colourful like rainbow colours, bright, bold and vibrant which affects and brings different emotions or moods; for example, love. A figure of a mother was shown with bold red lips and curly hair.

2nd painting; ‘Father’ (2013). It is similar to ‘Mother’, but this time is the sign for ‘Father’ in ASL. A father figure is a representation for males who could be a father, dad, daddy or granddad. The colours compared to ‘mother’ are slightly different as this time it has more purple. This emotion shown is pride (proud) and strength.

3rd picture; - ‘I Love You’ in ASL. This showed a strong and bold statement. The hand is colourful and fun. This could be a strong emotion when saying ‘I love you’ and the viewers will feel good when seeing this sign. This is also a popular handshape that is well known to Americans and many people around the world

4th painting; ‘Studious Labrador with Glasses’ (2021). It shows bright-coloured, eye-catching and striking colours. A Labrador wears a pair of glasses which is unusual, but it is fun and silly. She used different colours, shapes, and patterns.

Two Britain Deaf Artists

Glen Palin – Deaf Artist in British from Manchester

There is no information about his education background, therefore the demonstration of his work through social media. He is a strong BSL user and uses his Facebook posts to explain and describe his feelings when creating a new painting. He also uses Instagram and Twitter to share his art experiences with his followers. He was based in Altrincham at first, but then moved to Manchester due to his first exhibition; Manchester Open 2020 at HOME as he painted ‘3 o’clock’. He was the first deaf artist for this exhibition.

The first picture: ‘3 o’clock’ It was interesting that Glen Palin labelled this painting as 3 o’clock, this could be that Palin finished his painting at 3 o’clock. That time, a yellow metro passed by and two little bees buzzed around in the sky. Furthermore, Manchester is well known for ‘worker bees’

The second picture reminds me of the Brooklyn Bridge in New York. However, this is Manchester Canal Street, it is too dark with black, grey, brown, and white colours are warm/mood than Brooklyn Bridge because this is too bright and out and the sea are so beautiful and influenced to them are emotion are positive. The canal street is inside of the river and too dark it feels like inside I will amend next week

This colour is not bright because it is too warm/mood. These colours are sky blue on the top cloud, the buildings are grey and black, the line on the building below is orange. It is the train metro yellow because this look like the bee who is workmen because they built up to made for a It is yellow like the bee I will amend next week

Vicky Barber – Deaf Artist in British from Manchester

There is no information about her educational background, therefore the demonstration of her work through social media. She is use BSL and SSE and uses her Facebook posts to explain her sales and show them how to use art by painting from the process. However, she did posts lots and videos about painting more than her use her sign language She does not have Instagram and Twitter to share her art experiences with her followers.

The first picture: ‘Abstract flower are fell down’, this is to show them with emotion and feel so quiet and calm. There are also beautiful colours, such as, purple, sky blue, magenta, pink, light lilac, few pieces of red, yellow, bright and light blue. It looks so good with bright colourful makes people enjoy, happy, smile and feel positive.

The colourful backgroud on these books looks so good and beautiful and this is abstract, this is what I called it

This is ink and acrylic painting with hand paint and messy I like the most. One day I want to buy this book because I am addicted this colourful is my favourite and inspired to me and my project is ‘Deaf Culture & Emotions’

Art should be fun to feel free and joyful.’’

Arts is most joyful, be fun, freedom, dreamful of colour, and inspired

The third picture: ‘Heart’ looks like beautiful weather and sun as well. The green grass with flowers and a lot of red roses.

Painting are too details look like real life and not fake

She was inspired by Van Gogh because his colours are bright this is which is why she loved this and inspired with colour are bright

She is too hiding of who she is because she is showed that she is brilliant painting, but people didn’t know about her background

Methodology

Have an interview with Deaf artists, and ask their views on all of this, their point of view from a deaf person and being an artist.

The journey of Deaf Artist. She is student and deaf too, she is studying at university at Blackburn of Fine Art

What made them become an artist?
What kind of experience do they have?
What barriers do they face every day in life?
What kind of support did they have?
The English language: do they find it difficult to write? Is that why theirs prefers art as it is more practical?
Who are they? Deaf, Disabled, Man & Woman, BSL/Oral? etc
What techniques do they use for art?
What is their signature style?
Who are their favourite artists and why?
What are their preferred communication methods?
Which one comes first; Deaf or Disabled? Why?

The first interview was planned with this person. She was a Deaf and Disabled student at University at University Centre at Blackburn College, but she is currently studying a Fine Arts MA course at Preston. Unfortunately, she was unable to meet for an interview. At first, it was arranged through social media, but this did not work out. The second plan was to meet her at a local cafe, but she cancelled because she did not have time. Therefore, it was decided to interview a different artist, Glen Palin but unfortunately, he refused the interview due to his personal reasons and he also is a private person. Therefore, his decision has to be respected Currently is the last one to have asked Vicky Barber.

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