Silent Poetry

The book examines the relationship between art and French sign language, highlighting the impact of the French Revolution on deaf culture and the emergence of over one hundred deaf artists from the Institute for the Deaf in Paris. It discusses how these artists contributed to a vibrant artistic community before facing marginalization due to societal shifts influenced by Darwinism and eugenics. The narrative focuses on the historical process of exclusion and the significance of visual culture in shaping perceptions of the deaf as "abnormal" within society.