Deaf Vineyarders

30 x 40 inches
Oil on canvas
January 2011
SOLD

Description:
This painting, Deaf Vineyarders, honors the remarkable legacy of the Deaf community on Martha’s Vineyard from the mid-1600s until 1952. During this period, hereditary deafness was present among many island families, creating a unique community in which Deaf and hearing residents communicated naturally through a shared sign language.

The DNA structures symbolize the hereditary deafness that appeared across generations of Vineyard families. The hands represent the widespread use of sign language in Chilmark, West Tisbury, and other villages where many Deaf families lived and worked as farmers, fishermen, and members of the community.

Family names such as the Tiltons, Mayhews, Lamberts, Smiths, Skiffes, Wests, Pooles, Cottles, Rogers, and many others became part of this rich Deaf heritage. Over several generations, Martha’s Vineyard became widely known as the place where “everyone spoke sign language,” reflecting a community where Deaf and hearing people lived together with remarkable inclusion and mutual understanding.

This painting is part of the permanent collection of the Istituto dei Sordi di Torino in Turin, Italy.