Artist Biography & Facts

Henry Newman

Henry Newman appeared in a three person show at RIT/NTID Dyer Arts Center 52 Laomb Memorial Dr. Rochester, NY 14623.  The show is titled: Three Masters: Hidden Gems  Featuring works by Igor Kolombatovic, Henry Newman and Clair Bergman  April 20,2019 (All of these artists were deaf)

This is what was written in the brochure:

Henry Newman 1923-1996
Characterized by a unique style and blended common household objects with the Art of collage, Henry Newman was innovative and versatile. He spent his childhood between New York City and Paris, which expose him to the world of art. Though Newman gradually became deaf, he never learned to sign. He took speech therapy classes at the Lexington school for the deaf, in addition to attending public high school. After he finished his education, he began to a career as a textile designer, creating art in his free time. Newman saw his deafness as an artistic advantage because it gave him a good eye for visual perception. 

His art is difficult to classify due to the wide range of styles he used throughout his life; in addition to collage he made Lino cuts, assemblages and paintings. He also celebrated Jewish history and identity through art, using Hebrew and Yiddish text as an influence. In 1984, Newman retired to focus on his art. A stroke took away the function of the left side of his body four years later. He passed away in 1996 and is survived by his two children Larry and Andy. He had an eye for seeing the potential and what others saw as trash for junk. Materials used to create his mixed media collages included scraps from hardware and appliances, hinges, plywood, back towards from TV sets, old clothing, jar lids, rusted metal, and tape cassettes. Newman summed up the reasoning behind his method in one short phrase: “Junk can be art”.

Newman’s Jewish face inspired many of his works, in terms of subject matter and materials alive. To create some of his collages, he used Hebrew and Yiddish newspapers, greeting cards, and prayer books. Here, the text resembles hieroglyphics that one would find on an ancient wall. Newman often describes works like this as an archaeological excavation. The effect of paper embedded in the stones creates a sense of uncovering pieces of history.

Well Newman cannot be classified as a De’VIA artist, he still felt that his deafness gave them an artistic advantage. As a lip reader, he relied on his eyes and developed a keen sense of visual perception. Coupled with his limitless imagination, this sense allowed him to become a prolific artist. Creation was an essential part of Newman’s life. His sons remember him by the distinct smell of his painting supplies. On occasion, he even put artworks in the refrigerator against his families wishes. He continued to create until a stroke took away the function of the left side of his body in 1988.

Both of Newman’s children, Larry and Andy were warm profoundly deaf. Newman was raised using the oral list method and never learn to sign. Communicating with his children was difficult but he loved him dearly. Newman’s wife Joan, it was hard of hearing and grew up relying on lip reading. Unlike her husband, she eventually learned a SL and interpreted between Newman and their children.

Newman’s works on Jewish history and identity are celebratory, but there is often a hint of darkness within. This serves to remember the suffering that one’s ancestors went through at the hands of their oppressors.  Hebrew Melody, II 1966, sic, despite being a work of lithography, the art work bears the characteristics of one of Newman’s  collages. He uses the iconography of the Torah scrolls, wine cups, menorah, dreidels, and candles to create a lively image. However, he asked the star of David against of bleak wall to represent the concentration camps of the Holocaust.  This emphasizes that despite the darkness of Judaism’s history, the Jewish identity is ultimately one that embodies the values of hope, joy, and life. "

Source:  Tabitha Jacques,  Director of the RIT/NTID Dyer Arts Center

Submitted by:  Claudia Hess