When Gregory Blackstock was born in Seattle, Washington in 1946, \u201cautistic\u201d was not a term that doctors used. Yet it was clear from a very early age that Gregory processed the world around him differently and communication was challenging. After working with specialists and even spending time in an institution, a diagnosis was finally developed that suited Gregory\u2019s particular way of interacting with the world: Autistic Savant. In time Gregory adapted to lead a relatively independent life, living on his own and working for decades as a dishwasher in one of Seattle\u2019s upscale athletic clubs. All the while he kept a delightful secret.<\/p>\n
From an early age, Gregory excelled at drawing. When he was 20 years old, the Seattle Times published a photo of Gregory holding one of his earliest drawings entitled, \u201cThe Great Caped Crusaders,\u201d featuring Batman and Batgirl surrounded by their iconic Bam! Wham! Zing! sound effects. While he received accolades for his artistic attention to detail when the article ran in the 1960s, the true breadth of Gregory\u2019s talent wasn\u2019t brought to public light until 2003, when he showed art gallery owners, whom his cousin Dorothy had contacted, hundreds of drawings haphazardly stored in his closet. Through his drawings, Gregory obsessively catalogs the world around him in particular and intricate categories that range from \u201cSuper Red Hot World Peppers\u201d to \u201cArt Supplies\u201d to \u201cThe Great World Penguins.\u201d Though not an art critic, Dorothy is dazzled by his skill and creative flair; she is confident that the singular vision embodied by his work should grace the walls of galleries rather than cluttering the corners of his home. Much to her delight, gallery owners and art dealers have agreed. Advocating alongside her cousin, they have brought his art to a broad audience eager to embrace Gregory\u2019s genius.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
When Gregory Blackstock was born in Seattle, Washington in 1946, \u201cautistic\u201d was not a term that doctors used. Yet it was clear from a very early age that Gregory processed the world around him differently and communication was challenging. After working with specialists and even spending time in an institution, a diagnosis was finally developed […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":22211,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"topic":[1216,2064,1252],"class_list":["post-22210","films","type-films","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","topic-arts-and-culture","topic-disability","topic-visual-arts"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n