Cultural Genocide
8 × 10 inches
Oil on canvas
October 2012
SOLD
Description
This painting addresses what I see as a cultural assault on the Deaf community through the continuing influence of oralism and efforts to eliminate deafness through medical intervention. It portrays a second wave of oralism invading Deaf culture, language, and identity.
In the painting, Deaf people are shown resisting forces that seek to take Deaf babies for experimental stem cell research and cochlear implantation. Some figures actively push the invaders away, symbolizing resistance and protection of Deaf children and Deaf culture. Other figures are shown escaping, representing the fear, displacement, and vulnerability felt by many Deaf people when they see their language and way of life under threat.
The large ears symbolize eugenicists and systems that attempt to erase deafness rather than recognize Deaf people as a linguistic and cultural minority. From the painting’s perspective, these forces threaten the natural language, identity, and community of Deaf people.
Through this work, I express the belief that Deaf culture and American Sign Language must be protected from policies and practices that seek to eliminate or diminish them. The painting belongs to the Resistance category of De’VIA, emphasizing the struggle to preserve Deaf language, culture, and identity.
