De Via Analysis

A unique, vibrant, and eloquent minority genre of art arising from Deaf culture was given international attention. These are “Deaf View/Image Art, or De'VIA”(Source A). This art uses formal art elements with the intention of expressing innate cultural or physical Deaf experiences (Source A). Deaf Art communicates more than the sensory experience of silence. Many artists include ideas such as the beauty of sign language, oral training, frustrations in communicating, painful oppression, cultural pride, breakdown of family life when hearing parents cannot communicate, joys of Deaf bonding and heritage, residential school life, technology used within the Deaf community (TTY, closed captioning, etc.) and turning points in the artist's acculturation to Deaf culture, such as the discovery of language, turning points in the history of Deaf people and the 1880 Milan Congress prohibiting signed languages in Europe and America (Source D). Deaf artists create a work of art that reflects their culture and life experience. …show more content…
For instance, in the painting, “Mechanical Ear,” by Chuck Baird (Source C) gestures the Deaf cultures aversion to hearing aids and cochlear implants. It shows a commentary on how the hearing are trying to bring about this “magical ear” for the Deaf. Chuck Baird was expressing the many complications that could possibly happen by inserting this complex “Mechanical Ear” into a Deaf person. Bairds workboxes in the ear to visualize and record the impact of this over-emphasis of what Deaf people cannot do. The culture of the Deaf community with all these technologic devices are in a way destroying the true culture of the Deaf. As Deaf people are getting cochlear implants and hearing aids the culture slowly vanishes. The resistance of De’VIA is becoming more common and now instead of acculturation, they are using cochlear implants (Source