Deaf Culture: Art No.2

Art No. 2

Biographical Information: Chuck Baird was born deaf in 1947 in Kansas City. He attended the Kansas School for the Deaf. He earned his BFA in Painting in 1974 from the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). In 1980, he joined the National Theater of the Deaf where he was an actor and set designer. He was in charge of painting the sets. He moved to San Diego in 1992 and worked as an in-house artist for DawnSignPress but eventually ended up moving back to Kansas about a year later. When he was back in Kansas City, he designed his own painting and sculpture studio. Chuck was a well-known Deaf artist who created many different works of art that many Deaf people could relate to. He unfortunately passed away in 2012. (Biography1) (Biography2)

Artist's Statement: "Art is my whole life. When I sign 'art', a ray of light represents the ray of Hope. Those flying objects in front of myself represent my various mediums."

Background Information: "This is the second in the 'Art' series, the first of which is on the cover of his book Chuck Baird: 35 Plates. These are crisp illustrations, seemingly drawn in mid-air, of the sign for 'artist', a concept that is essential to Chuck. In the first painting, the sign is seen from the viewpoint of the signer/artist, but in the present work, it is seen from the viewpoint of the receptor/viewer."

Connection to Theme: I felt that this piece connected to my theme because it is the perfect painting to describe Deaf artists. Chuck painted himself actually signing the word "art" in his picture; how cool! He then painted various art tools flying around him which expressed the different types of art he creates. The light coming from his hand represents hope, which Deaf people sometimes desperately need in this society. They are constantly belittled and looked down at for their so-called "disability" and sometimes being Deaf in a hearing world can become overwhelming and hard. Deaf people need outlets to express themselves, their culture, and their passions. I feel this painting is a light of hope and inspiration for Deaf people to find a passion and embrace themselves to it, whether it be art or something else. It encourages the Deaf community to find a way to express who they are. Chuck Baird has many other amazing paintings, however, I chose this one in specific because I think it ties in with my exhibit very well and makes a great first post. It is an ASL art creation of the word artist. Chuck took a word and turned it into a painting... Deaf people can be incredibly creative!

Deaf Culture