By Aliza Flug, Senior Layout Editor and Social Media Manager
When you think of art, the first thing that comes to mind is probably a common form of visual art, such as a painting, sculpture or drawing. You may even think of music, cooking, dance, film, photography or writing. Traditionally, art is defined as a visual expression of creative talent. American Sign Language (ASL) is not typically put in this category, but rather it is seen only as a necessary form of communication for those who are deaf or hard of hearing. As someone who has spent quite a bit of time trying to learn ASL, I had always thought it was a beautiful and powerful language, but wouldn’t have ever defined it as artwork.
One Friday afternoon, while exploring the Whitney Museum of American Art, I came across an exhibit that changed my thought process. Titled All Day All Night, Christine Sun Kim’s exhibit focuses on the beauties and complexities of ASL. Spread across four museum floors, the exhibit includes lithographs, videos, sculptures and infographics. I walked into the exhibit oblivious to what it represented and was baffled that these simple black and white lines, squiggles and words were hanging on the walls of a prestigious NYC art museum. When I looked closer, read the descriptions and gave myself a moment to really take in what was around me, I was touched by the deep meaning behind this simple yet beautiful artwork.
Upon entrance are two lithographs explaining the meaning of the title by portraying the signs for “all day” and “all night.” This upward arch for “all day” and downward arch for “all night” is repeated several times throughout the exhibit, with the black and white color scheme tying it all together by representing day and night. Kim explained that the title has a dual meaning, it portrays the way she works, specifically with her artwork, she is working all day and night. It also explains the idea of obsession, and having something on your mind all the time, which is explored further throughout the exhibit.
The third floor of the exhibit displays murals inspired by the sign for “echo,” in which four fingers on one hand hit and bounce off of the palm of the other, resembling a recurring sound wave. Kim described echo as a deaf word because of the way that language has to be echoed (interpreted) between deaf and hearing individuals in order for a conversation to take place. Echoes have extra significance in her life; Kim stated, “My world is full of echoes.” The echoes are translated into shapes and lines that appear to be echoing off of the walls. They continue from wall to wall, giving the illusion of an echo trapped in the room.
Kim made use of infographics to display information in ways that were clear and visually appealing. She explained that infographics are similar to body language, something crucial to ASL speakers, because they exemplify how you don’t need words to communicate ideas. Among these illustrations were works depicting degrees of rage and fear about the future. While these may be serious topics, Kim used her art to incorporate humor into these everyday fears and frustrations. Much of the rage Kim represents the rage felt by the deaf community. The way Kim uses these typical, day-to-day feelings and incorporates signs into her artwork, forming simple, comprehensible drawings and paintings, can relate to a large audience of deaf people: deaf audiences feel seen, and it validates their struggles in a language of their own.
Throughout the exhibit, Kim shows that, for ASL speakers, not only does the language provide a necessary form of communication, but its motions add depth and beauty to conversations as well. She brings a voice to issues that aren’t spoken about enough and incorporates personal experiences from her life into her art. She also expands the definition of what artwork can entail and opens the floor for other artists to think outside the box.
After visiting this exhibit, I thought about other forms of art that aren’t as traditional as painting or drawing, but are unique forms of creative expression nonetheless. Things like acting, playing sports and learning a new language would all be categorized as hobbies and it would be quite peculiar to call these art. But much of what we do in our everyday life is actually beautifully artistic and I am grateful that Kim’s work opened my world to this deeper understanding of how art is embedded into my life in ways I never realized.
People often say that a picture is worth a thousand words, and I always believed that art was worth even more. But when it comes to Kim’s art which brings this beautiful language alive, there is nothing more valuable.
Photo Credit: Unsplash