I Will Never Forget

Abstract

This painting is about Deaf people being victimized of AG Bell Association, AUDISM, and ASL prohibition in the deaf oralism education schools all over in the U.S. The work is focused on Deaf Child and Hearing Teacher.

The person on the left is the deaf child and the hands are chopped off in the essence that language demolishment is in session when being forced to use oralism every minute. She is wearing an American flag skirt, which represent the meaning that she wears the American culture when she speaks. There are black stars on the U.S. flag that embody Audist bribery and the reward of star stickers (given when deaf child does not use our natural language all day).The Deaf child’s airway shows red bubbles of pain for speech therapy experience over the years and the gibberish words that come out when she tries to speak. The symbol of fishes is widely used among Deaf Russian artists and represents the trap in silent water-world. The two grey boxes on her chest are hearing aid devices.

I am cordially invited with honors by the Russian Federation, to attend the opening of the exhibition, the Saint-Petersburg International Art Exhibition, "The World is Heard by the Soul" in Saint Petersburg, Russia this August 29-September 2, 2013. It is exhibited with 80 International artists of 15 countries. (Included about 40 Deaf Russian artists) The artworks are total about 120 at “Hear the World with Soul”, International Deaf art exhibition at the exhibition hall, basement at the Smolny Building, The building address is Ulitsa Smol'nogo, 3 а, Sankt-Peterburg, Russia, 191124.

Creator

Ellen Mansfield
She/Her/Hers

Title

I Will Never Forget

Date

2013

Medium

Oil on canvas

Description

A girl standing on the left with a wooden chair on the right side. The girl wears an American flag skirt and some various of colors in clothes. The girl's airway shows red bubbles. Her left leg is fishes and her right leg is hooks instead of normal legs. Her eye is a blue fish as well. The background is a wall of the house with a clock, a window, a vase of yellow and orange flowers and the white word, "ASL" on the black square. On the red floor, there are pieces of paper and all images are alphabet signs. The window shows a yellow sun outside with the blue sky.

Citation

Ellen Mansfield and She/Her/Hers, “I Will Never Forget,” RIT/NTID Dyer Arts Center , accessed March 29, 2024, https://dyerartscenter.omeka.net/items/show/167.