The Hearing Test Room

8 x 10 inches
Oil on Canvas
October 2010
SOLD

This painting is inspired by Vincent van Gogh’s The Bedroom at Arles (c. 1888). I borrowed elements of the room—the table, chairs, picture frames, and wooden floor—to create a familiar setting that contrasts with the unsettling experience of hearing tests often endured by Deaf children.

The black silhouette standing at the blue window represents the audiologist, an unseen authority whose presence dominates the room. The picture frame on the right depicts Alexander Graham Bell’s estate and his flock of sheep, referencing Bell’s lasting influence on Deaf education and oralism. Hanging on the wall are wires and headphones, symbols of hearing assessments and the medicalization of deafness.

The picture frame on the left contains Alexander Graham Bell’s favored triangle motif, another symbol associated with his work and philosophy. The white dots covering the walls represent the soundproof booth where hearing tests are conducted.

The clapping monkey toy and the clown with the glowing red nose recall objects commonly used during childhood hearing evaluations. For many Deaf people, these seemingly playful objects evoke memories of anxiety, confusion, and isolation.

The empty room conveys a sense of claustrophobia, emotional isolation, and coldness. Rather than depicting a comforting childhood space, the painting transforms it into a place where silence, observation, and medical authority overshadow the human experience.