In 1998 my youngest brother, Kelton, was diagnosed with autism, a developmental disability that affects communication and social interaction. Autism currently affects 1/88 people in the United States. Kelton is a talented individual who runs cross-country and track, wrestles, plays the drums, loves history, and collects bobble heads and keychains.

This year Kelton decided to enroll in his first art class where he discovered his skill for drawing. His unorthodox style made me reconsider my artwork and examine the differences and similarities that exist between our perspectives. According to Paul Collins’ Not Even Wrong: Adventures in Autism, artists are four times more likely to have autism in their families. Considering the number of artists in my family, this statistic made me question the similarities that exist between Kelton and me. For this reason, we have decided to draw one of his 6,481 keychains a day for one year. These drawings will be as simple and uninhibited as possible. This project will explore our individual perspectives and examine the similarities that exist between us as artists.

Day 295


Vik Muniz, Jorge, from Pictures of Magazines, 2003, chromogenic print, 100 x 72 in.

Sepia Jardim Gramacho landscape with vultures
Photograph by Vik Muniz, courtesy of Vik Muniz Studio

View down onto Irma’s portrait on the floor
Photograph by Vik Muniz, courtesy of Vik Muniz Studio

Marat/Sebastiao–Pictures of Garbage
Photograph by Vik Muniz, courtesy of Vik Muniz Studio

I just watched the documentary Waste Land, which follows artist Vik Muniz to Rio de Janeiro for a collaborative project with the local catadores, a group of workers who spend everyday looking for recyclable materials in the Jardim Gramacho landfill. Muniz is a NYC artist, raised in a working-class family in Brazil, who uses a variety of materials to create photographic portraits. He uses dirt, diamonds, sugar, string, and chocolate syrup, etc., but for this project wanted to use garbage to represent the daily lives of the catadores.

"Can art change people?" At one point Muniz asks this question and it made me reconsider my work. I think art has the potential to change people's lives, even if it's for a short amount of time. It was encouraging to hear a successful artist ask this question and observe his process. With more planning and social collaboration, Kelt and I hope to eventually reach more people with our work.

*Muniz raised about $250,000 from the garbage portraits, which went towards the Association of Recycling Pickers of Jardim Gramacho.
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