Susan Chevallier has kindly provided DeafDC with a picture of her original painting to be analyzed and discussed by our audience. Her thoughts on this painting will be posted next week on this Blog entry.
Susan Chevallier graduated from Gallaudet University (’63) attended Gallaudet University for two semesters in 1963.
Update:
Susan Chevallier’s thoughts on her painting:
Susan Chevallier says that her painting is the combination of abstract and realism. “Chevalier,” means horseman or knight. Susan was upset when she read rude deaf V/Blogs that made derogatory comments about Dr. Jane Fernandes (JKF). She felt that the protesters made JKF a scapegoat for Gallaudet’s problems so she tried to defend JKF in other deaf Blogs but some of her comments were deleted. Undeterred, Susan painted her opinion because “a picture can defeat a thousand words”. She also wanted to restore JKF’s dignity and show deaf children that JKF is not a villain.
The green face with the shattered female symbol on his head signifies a rude sexist who mocked JKF body. When JKF talked about how she mingled with deaf people as Miss Deaf Iowa many years ago, a deaf Blog mocked her body via illustrated cartoons portraying a chubby woman in a bathing suit and a cap. The face at bottom without ear is a totally deaf person with helmet engaging in an act of senseless barbarism against JKF.
The horse signifies JKF’s supporter breaking a rope held by the protesters who tried to use the word audism as a tool against JKF. Gallaudet’s beloved Bison jumps from the clock tower shocked by the senseless atrocities by the protesters. JKF signing, “Gallaudet,” signifies her love for the school even after she was terminated. The signs “Sign Combines English” describes how important English (grammar) is to deaf education yet ASL is a wonderful way to express one’s feelings through entertainment, drama, etc.
Susan Chevallier is a totally deaf woman who can sign ASL fluently, can speak, and has three deaf siblings. She went to the Louisiana State School for the Deaf, and has been interested in art since she was little under the guidance of Betty Taylor, who is deaf. At Gallaudet she saw some students’ artwork which inspired her to become an artist. Then she met Dr. Kelly Stevens, a deaf oil painter, who taught her painting rules. Susan loves to paint with charcoal and oil pastels, India Ink, watercolor, and oil, but oil is her favorite.
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I, as a painter, Shane and I talked with each other for a short time and he had to go out of his office quickly.
For your info. it was my fault for not being clear to him about “G ‘63″ that he thought I graduated from Gally while I stayed there for only two semesters. But enjoy the painting. Happy New Year.
I really enjoy paintings that look like abstract murals. This particular one features some representative subject matter with certain outstanding icons, seems personal and pleasant.
The painter here draws upon a gamut of art historical references, in some cases reaching back to prehistory, while employing contemporary styles and content to assert her interest in recent events. She therefore speaks to the weight of historical traditions on the present.
In the upper left of the composition, the depiction of the hands and the bison help to situate the painting in the context of Gallaudet University. The emblematic mascot of the university appears in strict profile, so as to evoke the paleolithic depictions of animals in caves such as those of Altamira in Spain. Likewise, ancient painters frequently represented disembodied hands alongside the animals. The appearance here of these elements must be seen in the context of modern appropriation of prehistoric models. Avant-garde artists have often characterized the prehistoric period as one in which no formal rules constrained artistic expression – therefore, paleolithic art was a sign of unfettered creativity and, above all, of authenticity. Chevallier is asserting that her own artwork reflects an authentic message free of artifice.
Here, the timeless authentic reality is that of the natural compatibility of the worlds represented by ASL and the English language. It is the premise of the image, or the opening statement of the artist, as we “read” the painting from left to right.
This integration of ASL and English is fundamental to Gallaudet, the institution also represented by the “buff and blue” tiles of the floor of College Hall. Jane Fernandes, who wears a blue outfit, seamlessly blends into this scheme, while signing the name of the university.
The tiles, however, also convey the notion that this rational order can segue into disorder. In the history of art, tiles have been a key component of the system of linear perspective, and therefore of the natural progression of space. Linear perspective was one of the great gifts of the Italian Renaissance, whose artists bequeathed a tradition in which depictions of the visual world could be governed by coherent and scientifically grounded methods. In the foreground of Chevallier’s painting, we see crisp tiles that evoke the clarity of this logical system.
Logical space, however, breaks down and gives way to irrational wavy lines that pulsate with painterly energy, not unlike what we see in the expressive sky of Van Gogh’s Starry Night. What might be the cause of this disorder?
It seems that the “buff and blue” tiles wilt before the visceral forces on the right-hand side of the composition. The three faces, compressed in a tight space, suggest a mob that has ganged up against Gallaudet. Unlike the authenticity represented by prehistoric motifs on the left-hand side, the three characters wear masks, which have historically signified treachery and falsehood. These personifications of deceit also threaten Gallaudet with the fist of fury. This trio does not represent the true colors of Gallaudet.
With whom does the artist side in this polarized composition? It seems she may have cast her lot with Jane Fernandes. The resplendent horse may constitute a self-referential element, or a sort of self-portrait, of Susan “Chevallier” (“horse” is “cheval” in French).
Why can’t you reveal yourself in this blog. I really hate most are anoyomous online alias. We will never know who write this real impressive anaylsis of Susan Chevallier’s artwork - A Knight in Disguise. The tile of Chevallier already give out the message of the artwork itself anyway.
RLM
Chevallier’s artwork seems contradicted itself in many ways. She seems pointed out the colorful flame figures as the defender of tradition and status quo in emotional state. Chevallier portrayed Fernandes as a victim of misconception and rumor mills for her designated leadership for the new and bold Gallaudet, instead of stoticism.
The symbol of horse is to defy the expectations of the Gallaudet community what the Gallaudet University President is supposed to be all about.
The broken question mark resembles “perplexed” and “bewilderment” within the colorful flame trios.
Susan Chevallier seems try to say that her artwork in representing Jane Fernandes as a gusty and indocile figure to fight off the powerful community to lead the Gallaudet University into the 21th century.
Am I right? I do not meant to endorse Susan Chevallier’s artwork so far. The artwork interpretation could be differently perceived by everyone.
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
One can quickly discern the essence of the painter
as a Fernandes sympathiser by looking at Fernadnes
in the painting. She portrays both Fernandes as a saintly lady and a horse as a white knight being
burnt in a fire à la Sainte Jeanne d’Arc — a fire
set by the protesters.
Jean Boutcher
Boutcher, Yes, that is what Chevallier meant to portray Fernandes as another Joan of Arc. Fernandes is no Joan of Arc anyway.
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
the perception is “horse ****” Whatever that Fernandes spouts are ****! Since this is “edited” I was trying to say ****…tihs - spelled backwards
Did anyone notice the 3 signs in the painting, “sign,” “machine” or “engline” (??) and “English”? What could they mean??
Hmm. Not sure if you’re being facetious or not, but I’ll go with not. I understood those as being SIGN, AMERICAN and ENGLISH.
Interesting painting. I’d say, yes, the artist is showing Fernandez in a very positive light.
I think it says Sign, Combine, English. Because the finger position isn’t right for American in the middle sign. So she could be implying that she thought JKF was trying to bridge both cultures.
It’s obvious to me that Fernandes is viewed in a positive light in this painting. The Bison is leaping away from an exploding Tower Clock… That’s a pretty powerful statement. The Bison is a pack animal, so if you have one fleeing Tower Clock, you can guarantee that many are following that one. So she could be implying that there’s an intellectual exodus from Gallaudet.
Then you have the 3 masked people, who look similar to what jesters wore in medieval times. In Anglo-Saxon cultures, jesters, also known as tricksters, aren’t viewed positively. So I would interpret those masked people as tricksters, and their true intent regarding Gallaudet hidden. They’re not being fully honest with why they’re doing what they’re doing.
If you notice, the top masked one has his hand on Tower Clock, as if he’s going to rip it down, and the Tower Clock is already exploding.
Then you have the other hand, I guess it belongs to the bottom or the middle one, who is leashing the horse. That could have several implications. The white horse could represent a free spirit, freedom, the horse that the knight rides on. So by leashing in the horse, the tricksters are cutting off JKF’s support.
That’s my interpretation of the painting. Pretty standard stuff to me. *shrugs*
~ Deaf Pundit
ahh. COMBINE. Yes, could be.
combine was how i “read” it too.
I don’t mean this as a comparsion of Fernandes to Hitler but the painting reminds me of a painting I saw of Hitler as a knight riding on a white horse, holding the swastika flag. I’ll find a link to the picture and provide it here. The poit is that the painting communicates a propagandic message, whether the painter is correct or not.
While it is a relief not to see another wisecrack about equine excrement, charitably provided earlier by Anonymous, it is a disappointment to see Godwin’s Law virtually fulfilled so early in this thread.
All the same, Annoy a Moose does make an interesting point. The juxtaposition of Fernandes to the horse does evoke a lengthy tradition of propagandistic equestrian portraiture, for which we have no need to cite Hitler. Perhaps the earliest extant example of this genre is that of the statue of Marcus Aurelius in ancient Rome, although the pace of additional examples picks up steam in the Renaissance. A famous painting would be of Titian’s depiction of Charles V at Mühlberg, dated 1548 and housed today in the Prado Museum of Spain.
Equestrian portraiture generally shows a person, or rather, a leader, riding atop a horse. It attests to the good skills of the leader in controlling the horse, a much more powerful beast than a human. For more information about the symbolic messages of this type of imagery, you can consult a good book by Walter Liedtke, _The Royal Horse and Rider: Painting, Sculpture, and Horsemanship, 1500-1800_ (New York, 1989).
I’m not certain, however, that Chevallier’s painting fits neatly into the equestrian portrait tradition.
Another alternative to this horse motif is seen if you google the movie poster for the early 20th century movie “Birth of a Nation” (which does predate Hitler). Powerful image. Though none would defend the ideas it contains now (white supremacy, advocacy of violence in the name of “morality or honor” etc.), it was a much valorized film.
That’s an interesting comparison – thanks for pointing out that image from Birth of a Nation. Perhaps I could split hairs here and point out that the Birth of a Nation horse is clothed in an outfit, whereas the horse in Chevallier’s painting is not attired with comparable insignia, and therefore does not refer to that film.
These remarks have prompted me to do more thinking. Given that Chevallier has depicted a horse in the middle of an apparent conflict, presumably between the forces of good and evil, we might be able to find another model that could more closely reflect her message.
Since we are looking here at a painting, and not a movie, perhaps we could focus on paintings available in the neighborhood of Gallaudet. If one were to look at the collections of the National Gallery of Art, one could find a nice work by Raphael of c.1505 of St. George and the Dragon. I don’t know much about posting links, but the National Gallery’s website has an image of the painting in question:
http://www.nga.gov/cgi-bin/pimage?34+0+0
There, we see St. George taking on the evil dragon. Perhaps this notion of a good horse is what Chevallier had in mind?
The other remark in this thread, by gwl, about the broken symbol for “woman” is also interesting. Most depictions of riders/leaders atop horses have been men, for the simple fact that women have historically been barred from positions of leadership. The history of art does offer some examples of female leaders on horses, but they are exceptional and very unusual. So Chevallier’s painting could also be interpreted in terms of gender relations and power.
I have never set foot on Gallaudet, and I have no idea whether JKF would’ve been a lousy leader or if she would have said “hi” to everyone on campus. That said, Chevallier’s painting is intriguing for its references to artistic traditions and her presentation of familiar elements in a fresh, specifically deaf context. It would be interesting if deafdc.com/blog could occasionally furnish comparable examples of artwork for discussion.
You impressed me so much about your knowledge in art history as if you painted this one also.
I am fond of Medieval art especially St. Peter and the Dragon. I often am puzzled and confused about the shape of his chest armor that looks like woman’s breasts. “Saint George and the Dragon by Rogier van der Weylen. Maybe these lumps were used to store things in such as money???
I also love the one by Gustave Moreau, his brush strokes are marvelous that the gems on the horse chest harness look so rich.
Are you an art curator?
Art Historian,
I can image you got many degrees in Art History and Psychology. You are right about my painting purpose into the equestrian portrait tradition.
I would love to learn from your reply about Saint Peter’s breast armor in “Saint Peter and the Dragon” in your next comment below, thank you.
Susan: No, I’m not a curator. I’m just jealous of how nearly everyone on this blog is in the DC area and surrounded by art museums, cultural institutions, interesting people, etc. Coming to this blog and seeing all the entries is a vicarious experience for me out in the hinterlands, as you might imagine.
You’ve made an interesting remark about Rogier van der Weyden’s painting in the National Gallery of St. George and the Dragon. I had never noticed that St. George looks somewhat, uh, busty. Often warriors were depicted in flattering armor that exaggerated their pectoral muscles, but here St. George doesn’t exactly look macho. I am going to have to keep my eyes open for comparable examples of artistic gender-bending.
And your citation of Gustave Moreau’s painting of the same theme is also interesting. Those works provide a good background for the artistic vocabulary you drew upon for your own painting.
I look forward to your further notes on your work.
I am glad you saw it as “combine.” SignCombineEmglish is equivalent of Simultaneous Communication (SimCom). But the protest was not about Fernandes’s SimCom or about “not Deaf enough.” The protest was about her
“ineffective” leadership and management by intimidation.
Oh yes, “combine” sounds about right, given the sign, not America as Regina said. It is not the right sign for America. Thanks and I couldn’t figure it out that time :)
Another interpretation could be “partnership,” which would suggest a duality of sign and English, neither taking dominance and neither taking subservience. This would be a great message but I doubt it’d be duly attributed to Dr. Fernandes since the two candidates competing against her (Stern and Weiner) far more embody that duality.
The interlocked hands might represent combine, with the rebus intending to mean “SimCom,” but that would be a throwback philosophy and I wouldn’t assume it offhand. Although I am not a Dr. Fernandes sympathizer, she does not SimCom. She signs in ASL.
This painting makes a gravely erroneous message in martyrizing Dr. Fernandes and simultaneously casting her as standing for sign and English, therefore suggesting that her opponents has burned her in flames of buff and blue for exactly that. Please. That was far from the larger protest. A more accurate picture would have been the “tricksters” (if you must) scattered, disunited. It was a protest on many fronts, which was indicative of how many things were wrong with the selection of Dr. Fernandes. But that wouldn’t make for a clear-cut painting. Better to take a simplistic approach and portray the whole thing wrongly, as Chevallier has done.
Politics aside, it’s a interesting painting. I liked the buff and blue tiles going up into flames, for the aesthetics of it. I liked the invocation of carnival. If anything, I hope to see more paintings by deaf artists and also hope they don’t insistently jampack symbolism. Sparse symbolism, for me, lends to resonance longevity.
I do appreciate your interpretation of art.
While I am not good at interpreting them, I enjoyed art and reading other people’s interpretations.
If we talk about duality in the language sense, it ought be ASL and English, but instead “sign” was used.
By using just “SIGN,” which reflects a mode of several without linguistic signifiance — SEE, SimCom, PSE, LOVE and any other English derivation systems.
So, in essence, ASL is put in not so positive light and is being excluded. ASL is not just a mode but also a language in its own right. ASL is known as signed language among other signed languages of the world like any spoken languages where they’re recognized by linguists.
This leads me to believe that it’s a mode, not ASL because the “SIGN COMBINE ENGLISH” doesn’t make sense if ASL is in the picture for “sign” with the rest.
One more thing, she doesn’t use ASL if you watch her videos. She signs every word that she mouths or leave out some signs while mouthing.
It’s not that I have something against some who do not sign in ASL, but I have a problem with anyone who claims THAT is ASL.
How would she represent ASL in that painting? I would think for simplification reasons, she used the ’sign’ instead of fingerspelling ASL. Because I do that myself… I don’t fingerspell ASL when I’m talking about that. I use the word ’sign’ when I’m referring to ASL. If I want to discuss PSE or SEE, then I fingerspell that.
~ Deaf Pundit
Fingerspelling ASL is one way. The sign for what is shown in the painting is not how I sign for ASL. That sign is in reference to individual word like for example.
I am not good at describing, but I’ll try for the sign for ASL. Closed hands open to 5 handshape with fingers moving before returning to closed fist. That sign would mean it consists everything needed for a language to happen.
Not sure why it didn’t let me edit. Here is the part where I said for example, “What’s sign for that or this?”
Ah, yea. I understand what you mean about the closed then open fist. I use that as well when I’m referring to ASL.
Katherine,
As you tried to describe the sign for ASL with closed and opened fists.No, closed and opened fists is the sign for CHATTING, YAKING, or BLAH BLAH, NOT FOR ASL. Deaf would sign this, for “chatting” all night long, not “ASL” all night long. It is irony that there is NO SIGN for ASL.The painter can be clever and knows ASL very well and painted “sign” beautifully.
If we are thinking of the same thing based on my stinky description, I am sorry, but that’s not what I use the sign for. Only time I use that sign I described is when referring to ASL or just fingerspell it.
I never use that sign for chatting, yakking or blah blah nor have I seen, during my lifelong immersion in the Deaf community, use that to mean one of those. Who knows, I could be wrong and only see what I want to see :)
For those words, I have a sign or two in mind but I’m afraid to try describing it. Like I said, description is not my strongest area.
I know WHO you are, SF! Real good to have your thoughts on the public forum. I swear that I will not tell any souls. I understand why. Smile!
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
If it indeed is about her using SimCom or not being Deaf enough, what does these people have to say about people who are embracing Davila?
What I see is 3 blind mice facing the future of deaf society.
Interesting inputs…I agree it’s shedding a positive light on jkf. I’m curious on your opinion on what the whip in the hand would be percieved as?? Also, what is that circle thingy next to the TC on the left side that’s breaking apart? A cuff breaking up?? Could that be in reference to the protest being arrested?? hmm??
That gold thing on the green face looks like a bursted female symbol.
I agree. It does.
I see 3 people from the old deaf community, (there’s no ears on), them, one holding the building signifies a grip on the Gallaudet community, colorful faces represent their ‘people of color’ and deafhood stance. All three deafhood faces facing the future of the deaf society and thats portrayed by the red horse and JKF.
Ok, why is there a buffalo jumping over the building?
It’s probably a bison, the mascot of Gallaudet. As why it’s jumping over Tower Clock, only the artist really knows. I think it implies an exodus from Gallaudet.
As a lover of art, I think it is not only a beautiful but an explosive painting that can shake a room.
The buffalo is fleeing from the protestors or attacking
Fernandes? Fernandes’ steps are falling or hers stays on strong ground? The tower is already on fire or the protestors trying to save it or destroy it.
Different options on either side.
It can become one of the most valuable paintings in the history.
*stifled laughters* Could the Susan Chavallier’s painting be more valauble in the history?? Whose history?? Deaf history? or humankind history?
The painter really had no idea of what was really going on with the Gally protest so far? She only had two semesters at Gallaudet! How can she really comphrend the complicated incidents occured on the Kendall Green campus than just picking up the erroreous facts thru the mainstream media?
Cavallier’s painting belongs to somewhere where it rarely patronized by anyone.
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
Now I unerstand what all the fuss protest was all about. ignorancy. How come I do not see many cool paintings done by deaf while they can’t dance, hear music, sing, but just sat down stabbing their backs. Now you shriekk at a deaf painter as if deaf is not allowed to paint but to sit down and blah
bull. I like that cool painting.
I am deaf of the deaf parents. Not only have I painted composers, but I have also played the cello, the violin, and the piano.
I would suggest you to be careful about using 2 semesters of her experience at Gallaudet against her.
Generally speaking, there are some deaf and hard of hearing people who truly understands about different issues, who either have never attended Gallaudet or did for several years or even 2 semesters.
I’ve got news for you, whether we like it or not, her painting has a place in the Deaf community. Her painting, like any other paintings, is open to interpretations from both sides. It’s ok to disagree with her about her painting and just leave it at that.
Portrait of a narcissist. In reality, a person who strives on fantasty, like the painter.
I almost could see your face when you say that. that face with wrinkled nose with rage.cool yeah thats you. Chill, man stop stabing at your people of same disabilblty. no wonder deaf goes down, no more smart university cuz people are scared of you people after knowing you more. chill, man.
One fact of life: leaders are either lionized or demonized, rarely judged objectively.
This is joke. My interpretation of this is that the artist was trying to portray Fernandes in a positive manner. But the truth is that she was not positive nor great person.
Fernandes’ right eye winced a little while u see the fist in the center — it looks like one was masturbating and splat the sperm on her right eye — you can see the blue background as the one that rolls onto her face.
Suffice to say, my friends and I am loitering via AIM about this silly piece.
Cheers,
R-
How pathetically childish are you?
No, your pretension leaps out even more with your disagreement with a painting by calling it silly.
I can now understand why few people outside of your personal circle of close minded conservatives respect you.
grow up malfoy.
Wrong Road Boom, I actually chuckled when I saw the picture. I thought this adulation of this strange and detached woman is bizarre. Well, that’s someone’s art. Thanks for sharing anyway. This art is a better representative of JKF at this link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKJQkSJ8ZYQ
the cameraman tried to be pro but he swing the camera wildly and the painter may be good but doesnt look like her, it looked like a protester full of rage. We have been laughing at how deaf act against deaf like wild animals chewing at the best and smart deafies. Yet they are proud to be deaf, me no way, kewl man.
Hmm, interesting painting. I see the Bison jumping over Clock Tower to crush Jane Fernandes who is futilely trying to say “I AM THE BEST FOR GALLAUDET, I AM THE FUTURE OF GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY!!!!LOLOLKEKEK.” She is trying to espouse Signed English and SimCom as the true language of the deaf. The three faces on the side are bigger and appear more powerful than Fernandes. They represent the Deaf Community at wide and their hand on the Clock Tower represents the hold they have on Gallaudet University. ASL shall be the language of Gallaudet University, nothing else. Fernandes tries to portray herself as a pure “Pegasus” who is bringing purity to Gallaudet while the only thing she brings is AWFUL leadership and management by intimidation. Also, she supports ABUSE OF STUDENTS by DPS and PPD. She is willing to maintain the status quo at Gallaudet University by letting PAUL KELLY and MERCY COOGAN remain in their employed positions. Also, she is willing to allow DPS to have ****** sign skills and be unable to communicate with students. Also, same thing goes for PPD. Many teachers and staff at CLERC CENTER do not like her because she ******">****** up MSSD and CLERC CENTER. Did we see her have a response when the DPS ASSAULTED students at HMB or PPD at MOUNT BISON? No, she just acted like it never happened. That is PROOF that she would have never changed the status quo. JANE FERNANDES IS GONE. GOOD RIDDANCE.!!!
I disagree with you about why Gally’s beloved Bison jumping the **** out of TC….Bison did that out of fright for the first time since Gally was first established. These masked people showed how they can be liars and tricky, bet their real faces can be worse, the painter may want to make sure people can see their masked faces clearly. They lied about how wicked JKF can be while they themselves can be worst.
Protesters had been rolling their eyes denying their cruelty toward JK. Sorry the world has seen it all. I will beg the painter to paint how the protesters and staff acted wildly that night after BoT ousted JK to save Gallaudet property to show the world how cruel and foolish the certain deaf people with silly Deaf culture can be. I also will beg her to paint the old faces of the major leaders of the riot especially this jester intermin prez after he wrote a letter asking JK to resign while he himself is no better that Fanwood the school for the deaf where he was a supt. almost fall dead.
Sweet Jesus! Either I’m having an acid flashback or staring at a puddle of my own vomit from last night… whoa. But I like art. “Gallaudet has jumped the buffalo”, to paraphrase “jumping the shark”. Good painting. Do you know what my boss said the other day? “I’ve never been impressed with any product of Gallaudet.” Her client and her subordinate are both Gallaudet graduates, Kappa Gamma and Phi Kappa Zeta, in respective order. It’s got nothing to do with Gallaudet and everything to do with their retarded world view.
The Federal Government created Indian Reservations for a reason, so that those people and cultures would be isolated and die off. Cultures that do not exchange ideas with other cultures eventually perish. All living organisms that cannot adapt, perish. Shame that deaf people haven’t figured out the same thing is being done to them. Yea, verily. So by all means, create your Deaf State and hasten your departure.
Au contraïre, my interpretation has it that one of the protesters kicks off and the Tower Clock pushes the bison to kick Fernandes out of Gallaudet. The Tower Clock represents a mass of FSSA. According to Jim Fernandes’s post to GallyNet-L, Jane Fernandes repeated the history of la Sainte Jeanne d’Arc. That was Jane’s and Jim’s delusions de grandeur.
I am sorry that the photo really does not look as clear as the painting itself. Fernandes’ necklace blurs so are her eyes, eye whites can’t be seen. Some lines look too wavy and crooked. Maybe from my camera and the photo went through few computers that removed some fine lines.
Jean Boutcher, you painted a beautiful portrait of Clerc for Gil Eastman. So sorry about his death.
I am just now noticing the stairs in the middle and the hand holding something (a rope?). This could either be that JKF had to “lower herself” or “take a fall,” or that the people on the right were trying or needed to ascend. The rope does lead to the horse’s neck — ominous intentions?
Either way, it’s an interesting thing to notice after looking at this picture for the umpteenth time. I await Chevallier’s commentary with bated breath!
i think its interesting so many people see this as a pro fernandes piece. i see it as neither pro fernandes nor pro protestors.. each half has its positive elements. actually, i think the half representing the protestors (or so i assume) is quite beautiful and inspiring.
Actually, I would say that the half representing the protesters states that they are a carnival of destruction. So, I’d say that it’s not flattering toward the protesters.
I’m still looking at the half with Fernandes and wonder if it is supposed to be ironic in some way? I could go either way.
But what is clear to me is that the painting by itself on its own artistic merit is rather mediocre and flat. It wouldn’t be on display in an art gallery, that’s for sure. Deaf artists have a long way to go, I believe.
There is also too much symbolism in the picture that it’s a visually cluttered piece. The viewer is bombarded with too many images and some of the message may get mixed or lost. The painter needs to learn that visual communication is best done with sparse imagery which has a greater emotional impact. The best pictures I’ve found have one single clear visual message with a hidden message that can be decoded by a select few. With this one, it’s a cacophony and I’m having a hard time deciphering this.
I interpret “SignCombineEnglish”, or SimCom, as suppressing ASL. I consider Chevallier’s masterpiece as the antithesis of yet another masterpiece, “Milan,” by Mary Thornley’s painting, “Milan,” hanging at GU.
Where is Mary Thornley’s painting located at? The term of GU is too general for such a specific location. That could be Georgetown University! :)
I know that the “Milan” painting is a deaf-related theme.
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
RLM,
I was referring “GU” to Gallaudet University.
I saw it in Kellogg Center on way to an auditorium where I attended Jane Fernandes’s Open Forum presentation last April.
FYI, Jean Boutcher. I am not really impressed with Mary Thornley’s “Milan” painting which is clearly the ripoff of Francisco de Goya’s masterpiece painting -
“The Third of May 1808: The Execution of the Defender of Madrid” completed in 1814. It is currently exhibited at the Museo del Prado, Madrid, Spain along with other Goya’s Black Painting series.
I like Thornley’s bluey-green color paintings. The illogical application of “ASL” being a sole victim of the Milan Conference as the symbolic theme.
What about other natural sign languages across the developed countries at that time? Thornley should compose and paint “deaf frightened children with startled eyes and signs naturally up in the air”, not ASL!
There are more to the natural language of the deaf than the ASL within the whole world being greatly affected.
The existence of American Sign Language at the time of 1880 were not fully emerged as the common linguistic usage among deaf people in the 19th century America.
That’s why I see Mary Thornley’s “Milan” painting as an unoriginal and fallacious artwork of the deaf!
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
I’m fascinated with the right side of the painting, more mysterious, subtle, and abstract in its symbolism than the left side. (Right brain/left brain symbolism here too?) My interpretation is that the three figures represent the deaf community, the colorfulness and integrity of ASL, deaf people of color, and all their other infinite variations. The faces are not masked, they are painted. This suggests culture such as African or Native American tribes, ergo, Deaf Culture. The many colors and flame-like qualities infer dynamism, movement, and growth. Note that the expressions on the faces are not overtly hostile. The object above the upper figure does look like a broken female symbol, but it also appears as the end of a chain necklace, or maybe even handcuffs. The “direction” of movement in the painting seems to be going from right to left, suggesting that the energy is going toward JKF and the tidy, logical, predictable order that she represents. My guess is that all this is intended to communicate the unquenchable spirit of Deaf people and ASL, and that spirit is rising like the mythical Phoenix from the ashes.
I do agree with a previous poster who said this painting has a little too much of a good thing with an excess of symbolism. The white horse and the bison seem somewhat superfluous here.
Thank you for the interesting comment.
I know that some symbols may be hard to understand. There is a saying by one of the philosphers, Socrates or Aristotle that deaf can’t enter heaven because they can’t understand symbols.
Glad you enjoyed looking at the painting.
Warmest regards,
Susan Chevallier
Susan,
I do not agree with that statement. It implies that deaf people currently have trouble understanding symbolism. That is an antiquated perception from a time where hearing people thought that deaf people were dumb because they cannot speak and thus express themselves in a language. We all know today that it is not true, the same goes for the observation about “symbolism”.
Susan,
It is nothing new under the sun that audists still spread disinformation about deaf people’s inability to reason based on Aristotle’s theory. They are paternlists.
It is inconceivable that Aristotle lacked senso comune, but it is true that he and others, including St. Augstine and St. Ignatius of Loyola, were myopic!
Leonardo da Vinci’s personal friend Renaissance mathemiatican-physician Geroloma Cardano debunked Aristotle’s theory through his deaf son who could reason and read and write. Spain’s
Bonet also refuted Aristotle’s theory. Again, after chatting with the uneducated Jean M Massieu, son of a large deaf family, de l’Epée discovered that the deaf could argue with logic
when questioned about science. Edward Miner Gallaudet proved that deaf children were educable. Again, the NIH (National Institute of Health) in 2000 discovered that deaf parents’s deaf or hearing babies’ IQ was more stellar than non-signing hearing parents’ hearing or deaf babies. But because of the power of audists, deaf children are dumbed down after entering school.
I suspect that master painters’ unfinished paintings were finished by their deaf students!
Leonardo da Vinci himself said that he was impressed that students surpassed their masters!
Off on a tangent, what is the medium and the size of your painting?
Best regards,
Jean Boutcher
Jean,
I understand that you know a lot about deaf history before America. Shane is right that deaf get much better education now and can understand about lots of things.
But to tell you the truth, I notice that most deaf are not interested in art because maybe they can’t understand the symbols fully yet.
For example on weekends, after some deaf and I gathered dining I asked them if they would be interested in going to art museum with me. They usually said no and wanted me to join them watching some baseball or football games.
The size of the painting is 24×30″, Georgian oil on canvas. It is where I can see it, so enjoyable to look at and I smiled most of the time that some people may not like it, heh.