Can You Speak...

This installation employs another use of American Sign Language.  Matthew Linton had spent time on the campus of the Rochester Institute of Technology and was awestruck by the communication of the large deaf population.  He began to think about story telling and using hands in communication.  This installation can be read to say, “Can you speak with your hands tied behind your back?”  Two video pieces flank the photographic installation.  In one video, the artist conveys an elaborate story in which he is allowed to use gesture as he would in everyday situations. The second piece is a reiteration of the story with the artist’s hands tied behind his back.  Focus on voice fluctuation and intonations are key in this piece.