The Second Wave of De VIA Mural

Transcription

1 The Second Wave of De VIA Mural The mural was created in 2013, by over 30 artists who attended the De VIA retreat in Olathe, Kansas at the Kansas School for the Deaf (KSD) and the Deaf Cultural Center (DCC) it is permanently displayed in the KSD library. The actual size is 5 feet by 15 feet 2013 De VIA mural. Image courtesy of the Deaf Cultural Center. Mural is permanently displayed at KSD. This is a reproduction of a Deaf View/Image Art De VIA mural that was created by over 30 Deaf artists who attended a retreat at the Kansas School for the Deaf during the summer of The blank canvas had belonged to a Deaf artist from the 1960s. His Deaf daughter who participated in the retreat donated her father s canvas as a tribute to him. The black background and the white triangle / pyramid are a tribute to the original 1989 Mural. We wanted to have a visual nod and connection to the origins of De VIA. The multicolored background is made up of different colored handprints of the artists reminiscent of cave paintings when sign language and visual art were the first languages used by humans. Except for where the De VIA motifs appear, the hands are covered with black paint, again honoring the original 1989 mural, which is now missing. The motifs created by the artists have a variety of meanings and references the peacock is a tribute to 1

2 Spectrum, a Deaf artists colony in Austin, Texas during the 1970s, the newly created Sign Union flag by Arnaud Balard waves proudly at the top, there are both resistance and affirmation pieces communicating how Oralism and Audism are unnatural and unjust, while ASL, nature, and creativity are liberators. The handstand within the triangle/pyramid signifies how taking a STAND via ART (ie ARTivism) is a source of great strength and perseverance for De VIA, for ASL, and for our Deaf-World. The Eye at top is to signify how artistic expressions of the Deaf experience are often a gateway to our third eye and also signify the spiritual part of De VIA and being Deaf. The triangle emerging out of the eye also shows our Point of View. The bottom right corner large blue handprint with the small yellow handprint inside of it serve as our collective signature like the days of old rock art hand prints and to signify the posterity of De VIA how it lives on. The original 2013 Mural hangs in the library of the Kansas School for the Deaf in Olathe, Kansas. Reproduction murals have been sent to many Deaf schools as a visual representation of our collectivity. 2

3 This was handstamped first before black paint all over. The Motifs The motifs created by the artists have a variety of meanings and references the Peacock is a tribute to Spectrum, a Deaf artists colony in Austin, Texas during the 1970s, the newly created Deaf Union flag by Arnaud Balard waves proudly at the top, there are both resistance and affirmation pieces communicating how Oralism and Audism are unnatural and unjust, while ASL, nature, and creativity are liberators. The handstand within the triangle/pyramid signifies how taking a STAND via ART (ie ARTivism) is a source of great strength and perseverance for De VIA, for ASL, and for our Deaf-World. The Eye at top is to signify how artistic expressions of the Deaf experience are often a gateway to our third eye and also signify the spiritual part of De VIA and being Deaf. The triangle emerging out of the eye also shows our Point of View. 3

4 The bottom right corner large blue handprint with the small yellow handprint inside of it serve as our collective signature like the days of old rock art hand prints and to signify the posterity of De VIA how it lives on. MOTIFS Sunflower - Tracey Salaway Peacock - Kyle Hoffer Violin - Tony Fowler Clock - Takako Kerns Paintbrush Patti Durr Key with Butterfly Handle - Ruth Ann (Chuck Baird s sister) and Patti Durr Leaf Patti Durr Stars - Karen Christie, Darlene Weir, Chapman Hom Black Paint Fill in - All Light Bulb - Alex Wilhite Big Hand - David Call Koi Fish - noel king mouth - Hinda Kasher Big Eye - Janna Dahl Hand Stand - David Call Triangle - done with masking tape Elephant - Nancy Rourke Arnaud Balard s Deaf Union Flag - David Call Two Dogs - Susan Dupor Big Sun - Ellen Mansfield Open Door - Jenny Witteborg 4

5 Bare Tree Hardy Roberts Window - Marian Lucas Running Horse - Robert Walker Waves Ellie Kidder Red Heart Mindy Moore Blue Hands - David Call Yellow Hands Mindy Moore s son Dogs Motif Susan Dupor Elephant Motif Nancy Rourke Sun Motif Ellen Mansfield stars Key w butterfly handle horse sunflower paintbrush leaf Light bulb handstand eye flag dogs window wave volin peacock Koi fish Big hand Elephant door tree hands clock mouth Triangle sun heart butterfly 5