Day 339

I recently came across the blog, Grow Your Brain, by artist Seth Chwast, which shows his work and exhibitions. He's been shown at the Museum of Modern Art in Ukraine and the Cleveland Museum of Natural History; has a mural at the Time Equities Building in NYC; is one of the 54 artists in the book Artism; and co-wrote a book with his mom, An Unexpected Life, to list a few of his accomplishments.

"Chwast was diagnosed with autism as a very young child, lived for years in a world of roller coasters, haunted houses and classical music. A dramatic change came in 2003, when at age 20 he took an oil painting class at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Seth, who rarely speaks, began describing his world in paint. He displayed an innate ability to mix colors and create amazing works of art that reflect his vision of his world and the world around him." -Grow Your Brain

Six Self Studies, 70" x 84", acrylic on canvas, 2005

Museum of Modern Art, Ukraine

Manhattan Floating, 104 individual panels 16" x 24", 2010, Time Equities Building, NYC

New York, New York Right Side with Crane and Clock, 22" x 22", graphite on paper, 2010

Day 337

Gauguin & Me, oil

Iranian Bus, 18 x 24", oil, 2009

In Spokane my Mom recently went to a local grocery store and found a magazine called The Autism File. This is a quarterly publication that covers a variety of issues about autism, such as therapy, diets and recipes, new books, family, personal stories, and communication, etc. Each issue also features an artist with autism in a segment called Mind's Eye: Art across the spectrum... Coincidentally the artist in the summer issue, Kevin Hosseini, is one of the artists featured in Artism, which is a book I've been discussing for the past couple of weeks. Hosseini is only 16 and has already been shown at the Museum of Modern Art in Ukraine, Soho Digital Art Gallery in NYC, and has 55 paintings on regular display at the UCSB Koegel Autism Clinic in Santa Barbara, etc. He has an advanced style that's been compared to artists such as Gauguin, Matisse, Picasso, and Van Gogh. To see more of his paintings, check out is website at kevingallery.com.

Day 334

I recently started the book House Rules by Jodi Picoult, which is about a teenager with Asperger's who gets accused of murder. I haven't read much, but so far Picoult has done a great job describing classic Asperger's, such as literalness, perseveration, intense interests, need for routine, and social misunderstandings, etc. Besides the plot and protagonist, I also enjoy the chapters that are told by the younger brother, Theo. I like reading his side of the story because it reminds me of my other brother, Camden, and the way he might have felt growing up with a brother with autism. Here are a couple of examples from the book:

"I am supposed to make exceptions for Jacob; it's one of our unwritten house rules. So when we need to take a detour away from a detour sign (how ironic is that?) since it's orange and freaks Jacob out, that trumps the fact that I'm ten minutes late for school. And he always gets the shower first, because a hundred billion years ago when I was still a baby Jacob took the first shower, and he can't handle having his routine messed up. And when I turned 15 and made an appointment to get my learner's permit at the DMV - an appointment that got canceled when Jacob had a meltdown over buying a pair of new sneakers - I was expected to understand that these things happen. The problem is, something happened the next three times I tried to get my mom to take me to the DMV and, finally, I just stopped asking" (11).

"I run interference. I'm the one who physically drags Jacob away from a conversation when he's starting to freak people out by being too intense. I'm the one who tells him to stop flapping when he's nervous on the bus, because it makes him look like a total nutcase. I'm the one who goes to his classes before I go to my own, just to let the teachers know that Jacob had a rough morning because we unexpectedly ran out of soy milk" (12).

Theo's perspective makes me question Camden's and the difficulty of having a brother with autism. It's a hard and atypical relationship, but I hope Cam appreciates Kelt and understands how they both contribute to our family. Kelt wouldn't be as successful if it wasn't for him.

Day 331

Kelt got this keychain today from a thrift store in Spokane. So inappropriate!

Justin Dixon is another artist that's introduced in the book Artism. This book shows 54 artists across the world with autism that range in age and experience. Dixon is a 17-year-old emerging artist from New Jersey that draws and paints his favorite logos that he collects from a variety of tv shows and movies. Besides painting, he enjoys watching games shows, swimming, bowling, and playing the xylophone. To learn more about the different artists in the book, check out the website, Artism Today.

Day 328

Sutherland Hotel, Winnipeg, Manitoba, 2001

Flying High, 2000, 12 x 9.5", acrylic

"When an individual is marked by disability a small gesture of acceptance, empathy and caring can lift that person's spirits and help in their recovery process literally sending them flying high in spirit and emotion." - Smoluk

For the next week we're going to discuss different artists that were published in the book Artism. This work was done by artist Ryan Smoluk from Winnipeg, Manitoba. He paints with acrylic, draws comics, and sculpts with clay, etc. He's shown his work in numerous galleries across North American and has four murals in Winnipeg! To see more of his work, check out ryansmoluk.ca.

Day 320

Kelt also got this keychain on the island from a local shop.

Today I finished the book Room by Emma Donoghue. I don't want to give too much away, but the story's about a woman who's captured and held prisoner in a 11' x 11' room for 7 years. During the second year she has a son, Jack, and does everything she can to make their living situation seem as normal as possible. They have a daily routine of playing, reading, exercising, watching tv, and making art, etc. She has an explanation for all of Jack's questions; for example, the tv channels represent different planets that are floating in Outside. They eventually escape, which forces Jack to learn social rules and adapt to a new reality.

Throughout the book Jack's experiences constantly reminded me of the problems that people with autism have with social rules. Jack was forced to instantly learn new rules, sounds, smells, and objects, etc. that most people gradually learn through time and experience. Jack had a physical barrier, but most people with autism have a mental wall that prevent them from learning these rules on their own. For example, Jack didn't understand manners and had to learn which phrases to say in different situations. People with autism have similar difficulties, which some people refer to as the hidden curriculum.

Day 157

www.jimlynchbooks.com

Today I went to a reading by Jim Lynch for the book Border Songs. This story was interesting because it took place in Blaine and talked about the border, but also because the main character had autism. Lynch recently read Temple Grandin’s Thinking in Pictures and was fascinated by the idea of a visual perspective compared to one steered by language. To fit the story he needed a character that was observant and diligent, which emulate the unique perspective and characteristics of a person with autism. I enjoyed his appreciation for an alternative way of thinking and seeing the world.

A few pieces from my BFA show that reference Andy Warhol, which also portray autism and the gift of a unique perspective. (see day 61)

Day 43

Andy Warhol, Cambell's Soup Cans, 1962

This year for Halloween I was the sky and Kelt was Andy Warhol. In the last couple of years Kelt has developed an interest for famous people with autism. According to Jennifer Elder's Different Like Me: My Book of Autism Heroes, celebrities such as Warhol, Issac Newton, Lewis Carroll, Einstein, Alan Turing, Immanuel Kant, and Joseph Cornell, etc., all had characteristics that were on the spectrum.

Just like Kelt, Warhol was a collector; when he found something that he liked, such as cookie jars, he would buy as many as possible. He applied this tendency to his art, with repetitive works such as Campbell's Soup Cans and Marilyn.