United We Stand

16 × 20 inches
Mixed media: oil, spray paint, oil bars, paper collage, and canvas
Affirmation — HANDSTAND motif
2015
SOLD

Description:

United We Stand is a joyful and experimental mixed-media painting celebrating Deaf unity, collective identity, and the strength of standing together. Created as an Affirmation work, the painting incorporates my HANDSTAND motif as a visual expression of Deaf people standing together in solidarity, pride, and cultural strength.

I had a lot of fun working on this piece because I experimented with a process I had not used since my college years. I combined oil paint, spray paint, oil bars, paper collage, photography, and archival imagery to create a layered surface where Deaf history and contemporary Deaf art come together.

A significant element of the painting is a scanned photocopy of George W. Veditz’s handwritten words, “United We Stand, Divided We Fall — Veditz and Haas.” I also photographed an old photograph showing the Veditz family and Haas during their time in Denver, in the Corona and Washington Park area. On the back of the photograph was the handwritten phrase, “United We Stand, Divided We Fall.” When I discovered the writing on the back of this historical photograph, I was immediately inspired to photograph it and incorporate it into the painting.

The work also includes an image of my painting Unity of Global Signing, creating another layer of connection between Deaf history, Deaf art, and the global signing community. I used spray paint and oil bars for the energetic writing and marks across the surface, while the HANDSTAND figure is painted in oil and serves as a central visual expression of unity.

For me, United We Stand connects the past with the present. Veditz’s words continue to resonate with Deaf people today, reminding us of the importance of unity, shared language, cultural identity, and collective strength.

On International Day of Sign Languages, this painting becomes a celebration of what happens when we stand together through sign language, Deaf culture, history, and community.

United We Stand.