This photograph was taken by photographer “Istolethetv” (yup, that’s his flickr identity!) while the sculpture was on temporary display at Carl Schurz Park in Manhatten, New York City. It was part of a special display there back in 2004. However, the sculpture (along with two similar sculptures showing the sign for “love”) has already been removed, so it is no longer there.
The hand gestures of these sculptures represent a form of visual poetry and communicate powerful and positive images of the human condition.
For all my life I have been the creation of other people.
The first thing I was ever able to understand was that everyone was supposed to hear
but I couldn’t and that was bad.
Then they told me everyone was supposed to be smart but I was dumb.
Then they said, oh no, I wasn’t permanently dumb, only temporarily,
but to be smart I had to become an imitation of the people who had from birth everything a person has to have to be good:
ears that hear,
mouth that speaks,
eyes that read,
brain that understands.
Well, my brain understands a lot;
and my eyes are my ears;
and my hands are my voice;
and my language, my speech, my ability to communicate is as great as yours.
Greater, maybe, because I can communicate to you in one image an idea more complex than you can speak to each other in fifty words.
For example, the sign “to connect,” a simple sign—
but it means so much more when it is moved between us like this.
Now it means to be joined in a shared relationship, to be individual yet as one.
A whole concept just like that.
Well, I want to be joined to other people,
but for all my life people have spoken for me:
She says;
she means;
she wants.
As if there were no I.
As if there were no one in here who could understand.
Until you let me be an individual,
an I,
just as you are,
you will never truly be able to come inside my silence and know me.
And until you can do that, I will never let myself know you.
Until that time, we cannot be joined.
We cannot share a relationship.
Note: Many thanks to “Istolethetv” for the information he provided regarding this sculpture, which helped to produce this post. Click here if you would like to see larger examples of this photograph, or to contact him for your own copy.
This sculpture shows the sign for "connect"...and that is what Deaf Pagan Crossroads is all about - making connections. Connections between Deafhood and Paganism, connections between the Deaf Community and the Hearing Community, connections between myself as the writer and you as the reader. I hope you will take the time to read my various posts, some of which are listed below. Welcome to the Crossroads, and I hope you make some connections here!
I have never seen the play … but that moment in the screen version was one of my favorite parts of the movie … the eloquence of a subtle shift in her use of a particular sign …. it has stayed with me since I first viewed it
I remember when I was taking Ocean’s ASL 101 class. It was the last day of class, and as a gift to all of us, she signed this scene from the play as we all watched. When Ocean was done, the whole room sat there in silence… lumps in our throats and tears in our eyes.
It was then that we came to truly appreciate the beauty of ASL, and truly respect the community that uses it to express themselves so eloquently.
Thanks for the memory, Osh.
This is a beautiful piece of art! Id love to have one! Beautiful way of connecting different arts- scupture, photography, and poetry. Sigh… thank you!!
Julie
AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME post
thank u
peace
patti
[...] http://deafpagancrossroads.com/2008/03/06/a-simple-sign-but-it-means-so-much-more/ Quote near bottom from Children of a Lesser G-d really relates to what is discussed above http://randomthoughtsnmusings.blogspot.com/ Discusses how to remain principled and passionate [...]
You can purchase a copy of this sculpture - IF you have $1200 to spare, which I certainly don’t. Maybe if I win the lottery…
http://www.dorothyfrankel.com/online_store.htm
Very beautiful, Mum x)
It’s a wonderful sculpture, and this scene is touching. Actually, part of it has to do with all relationships between two souls, I guess. But how delicate and complex it must be with this particularity.
Thanks for your sweet comment on my herbs post, Ocean. I do try to teach Lucas about Mother Nature and all that it encompasses and means as naturally as possible. So far, so good! And there is only one little witch at home! LOL Those are different photos, some months apart, of the same little Lucas.
Bright blessings from Nydia.
I remember “seeing” this scene in the movie and finally haveing the “words” to explain to my Dad how I felt in his “hearing world.” He was so moved that he finally accepted the fact that I used sign language to communicate my feelings and ideas. I still “speak” to him, but I also talk to him in sign.
Bless Bless
AElina