Monday, March 2, 2009

Art and the Isetta: Works by Autistic Artists


Autism is a complex neurobiological disorder that typically lasts throughout a person's lifetime. It is part of a group of disorders known as autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Today, 1 in 150 individuals is diagnosed with autism, making it more common than pediatric cancer, diabetes, and AIDS combined. It occurs in all racial, ethnic, and social groups and is four times more likely to strike boys than girls. Autism impairs a person's ability to communicate and relate to others. It is also associated with rigid routines and repetitive behaviors, such as obsessively arranging objects or following very specific routines. Symptoms can range from very mild to quite severe.

This website is about minicars and microcars -- but that doesn't mean that we can't feel stongly about other issues -- and autism is an issue that should be important to all of us. But...how does this all relate to microcars?

This image was painted by an artist who also happens to have autism.

Ricky Hagedorn likes to make pictures of cars and airplanes on wood shingles using enamel and acrylic paint in rich primary colors, and his representations come to life: the chrome gleams and the sun beats down on the roof. He annotates his works with his own hieroglyphic system that identify the date of the work.

The image was part of a show titled, Pure Visionaries: Works by 5 Outsider Artists. It was shown at the York Square Cinema Gallery in New York City.

If you want to learn more about Autism, and what you can do about it, please go to the Autism Speaks website.

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