NANCY ROURKE: Deaf Artist Series

Nancy Rourke: Deaf Artist Series is the first book ever published about Nancy Rourke, a Deaf oil painter who works in the De’VIA (Deaf View Image Art) genre. Its pages are filled with vibrant images in Rourke’s trademark primary colors, along with descriptions of art and biography. Rourke’s affinity for art dates to her childhood, when she started drawing as a means to communicate with her parents. Though she has created art for over forty years, Rourke’s present style evolved in 2010 when her artwork began reflecting the Deaf View/Image Art (De’VIA) themes of affirmation, resistance and liberation. In the book, Van Manen not only explains the origins of Rourke's paintings, but also accounts for her remarkable success as an artist in the years since adopting De’VIA themes.

Nancy Rourke: Deaf Artist Series is a wonderful educational resource for art enthusiasts, and for aspiring artists, and for people interested in Deaf Culture or De’VIA art. This series brings attention to the artwork and lives of contemporary Deaf visual artists who are important to the Deaf Art Movement and De’VIA (Deaf View / Image Art). These are Deaf artists who place a perspective on their artwork which relates to American Sign Language, Deaf heritage, and Deaf culture. Each book contains biography, art interpretation, and some art description. The availability of this important series offers readers an insight into the world of culturally Deaf people through their artists. Furthermore, the series serves as an useful guide for art historians, curators, and docents in recognizing Deaf Art/De’VIA’s contribution to American art.