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==Early life==
==Early life==
Wiltshire was [[speech disorder|mute]] and at the age of four was diagnosed as [[autistic]]. The same year, his father died in a motorcycle accident.<ref name=MBE/><ref name=WiltshireBio/> At the age of five, Stephen was sent to Queensmill School in London where he expressed interest in drawing. He began to communicate through his art. At the age of eight, he started drawing imaginary post-earthquake cityscapes and cars.
Wiltshire was [[speech disorder|mute]] and at the age of three was diagnosed as [[autistic]]. The same year, his father died in a motorcycle accident.<ref name=MBE/><ref name=WiltshireBio/> At the age of five, Stephen was sent to Queensmill School in London where he expressed interest in drawing. He began to communicate through his art. At the age of eight, he started drawing imaginary post-earthquake cityscapes and cars.


His teachers encouraged his drawing and with their aid Wiltshire learned to speak at the age of nine.<ref name=WiltshireBio/> When he was ten, Wiltshire drew a sequence of drawings of London landmarks, one for each letter, that he called a "London Alphabet".<ref name=WMSWiltshire/>
His teachers encouraged his drawing and with their aid Wiltshire learned to speak at the age of nine.<ref name=WiltshireBio/> When he was ten, Wiltshire drew a sequence of drawings of London landmarks, one for each letter, that he called a "London Alphabet".<ref name=WMSWiltshire/>

Revision as of 07:56, 3 February 2010

Wiltshire holding his MBE high in his right hand. He is shown from the waist up, smiling and formally dressed (black suit and waistcoate; white shirt with lilac tie, loosely tied). His head is shaved; a ring is visible on his right little finger
Stephen Wiltshire receives MBE for services to art
Flat Iron Building New York by Stephen Wiltshire MBE (2006) StephenWiltshire.co.uk
Big Ben on a rainy evening by Stephen Wiltshire MBE (2008) StephenWiltshire.co.uk
Venice by Stephen Wiltshire MBE (2008) StephenWiltshire.co.uk

Stephen Wiltshire MBE, (born April 24, 1974) is an architectural artist who has been diagnosed with autism.[1][2] Wiltshire was born in London, England, to West Indian parents.[1] He is known for his ability to draw a landscape after seeing it just once. He studied Fine Art at City & Guilds Art College. His work is popular all over the world, and is held in a number of important collections.

Early life

Wiltshire was mute and at the age of three was diagnosed as autistic. The same year, his father died in a motorcycle accident.[1][2] At the age of five, Stephen was sent to Queensmill School in London where he expressed interest in drawing. He began to communicate through his art. At the age of eight, he started drawing imaginary post-earthquake cityscapes and cars.

His teachers encouraged his drawing and with their aid Wiltshire learned to speak at the age of nine.[2] When he was ten, Wiltshire drew a sequence of drawings of London landmarks, one for each letter, that he called a "London Alphabet".[3]

In 1987, Wiltshire was part of a BBC programme The Foolish Wise Ones.[3] A collection of his works, named Drawings, was published that year.[3] Wiltshire can look at a target once and then draw an accurate and detailed picture of it. He once drew the whole of central London after a helicopter trip above it.[4] He can also make imaginary scenes like St. Paul's Cathedral surrounded by flames. In 2003, there was a major retrospective in the Orleans House gallery in Twickenham, London.

Stephen's work has been the subject of many TV documentaries. Oliver Sacks, a neurologist, writes about him in the chapter "Prodigies", in his book An Anthropologist on Mars.

Wiltshire's books include Drawings (1987), Cities (1989), Floating Cities (1991), and Stephen Wiltshire's American Dream (1993). His third book—Floating Cities (Michael Joseph, 1991)—was number one on the Sunday Times best-seller list.

Between 1995 and his graduation in 1998, Wiltshire attended the City and Guilds of London Art School[5] in Lambeth, South London.

In May 2005 Stephen produced his longest ever panoramic memory drawing of Tokyo on a 10-metre long canvas within seven days following a short helicopter ride over the city. Since then he has drawn Rome, Hong Kong, Frankfurt, Madrid[6], Dubai[7][8], Jerusalem[9][10][11] and London[12][13] on giant canvasses. When Wiltshire took the helicopter ride over Rome, he drew it in such great detail that he drew the exact number of columns in the Pantheon. [14]

In 2006, Stephen Wiltshire was awarded a Member of the Order of the British Empire for services to art.[1] In September 2006 Stephen opened his permanent gallery in the Royal Opera Arcade, Pall Mall, London.[3]

On February 15, 2008, ABC News named him Person of the Week.[15] In his first intimate interview with The Independent[16] in 2009 he revealed his dreams, aspirations, idols and biggest regrets.

In July 2009 he was an ambassador of the Children's Art Day in the United Kingdom. His work is now popular all over the world, and is held in a number of important collections.[17]

In October 2009 Stephen completed the last work in the series of panoramas, an 18ft memory drawing of his spiritual home, New York[18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [25] [26] [27] [28] [29] [30] [31] [32] [33]. Following a 20 minute helicopter ride over the city he sketched the view of New Jersey, Manhattan, the Financial District, Ellis Island, Statue of Liberty and Brooklyn over 5 days at Pratt Institute, the world-famous college of art and design, in New York .

References

  1. ^ a b c d Kirby, Terry (04 January 2006). "Honour for autistic man who speaks through art". The Independent. Retrieved 2007-11-12. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ^ a b c "Biography". The Stephen Wiltshire Gallery. Retrieved 2007-11-12.
  3. ^ a b c d Treffert, Darold. "Stephen Wiltshire - Prodigious Drawing Ability and Visual Memory". Wisconsin Medical Society. Retrieved 2007-11-07.
  4. ^ "Unlocking the brain's potential". BBC News. 10 March 2001. Retrieved 2007-11-08.
  5. ^ Education details at www.stephenwiltshire.co.uk
  6. ^ ADN - La memoria fotocopiadora de Stephen Wiltshire
  7. ^ Khaleej Times - Inkredible man
  8. ^ ePathram - UK Artist Stephen Wiltshire’s Giant Canvas on Display at DIFC
  9. ^ ynet - A picture's worth
  10. ^ Jeruselamite - Stephen Wiltshire draws Jerusalem into a masterpiece
  11. ^ Haaretz - Painting a picture of Jerusalem
  12. ^ Daily Mail - Revealed: How autistic genius Stephen Wiltshire drew his amazing picture of London's skyline
  13. ^ The Daily Telegraph
  14. ^ "Stephen el memorioso" El Pais, 2008-02-05 (In Spanish)
  15. ^ "Stephen Wiltshire Person of the Week" ABC World News, 2008-02-15
  16. ^ The Independent - My secret life
  17. ^ Banksy Forum
  18. ^ CBS Early Show
  19. ^ Brooklyn Daily Edge
  20. ^ CBS News
  21. ^ Pratt Institute
  22. ^ New York Daily News
  23. ^ Art Therapy
  24. ^ Reuters
  25. ^ The Epoch Times
  26. ^ WCBS TV
  27. ^ Art Daily
  28. ^ The New York Times
  29. ^ Daily Mail
  30. ^ News.cn
  31. ^ Art Knowledge News
  32. ^ The Brooklyn Paper
  33. ^ The Sun

See also

  • Beautiful Minds: A Voyage Into the Brain, a documentary produced in 2006 by colourFIELD tell-a-vision, a German company
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