Please read in particular the analysis done on Nadia by Nicholas Humphrey. If you discard some of the negative tones, his analysis is quite spot on, at least to me.
Common traits: (a) All these three artists use line-based drawings. Not painting. Just black and white. Simple contrast. (b) From what I can see, no one drew pictures for them, in their childhood. People would just be amazed at their drawings. BUT, as children, all three had to grow up on their own. No one communicated to them visually, by drawing pictures for them. (c) Nadia acquired some verbal skill later in life. Interestingly, that also meant a decline in her drawing skills. (d) Stephen Wiltshire said drawing changed his life. (e) Nicholas Humphrey is of the opinion that cave arts do not necessarily mean an advanced level of intellectual expression.
Your opinion may differ from mine, but in my view, all three have issues, or in my jargon, not developed to their fullest.
One could only wish time could be dialed back. But we can't. Nadia already passed away last year, anyway.
Looking back at it all, we did have all the information regarding picture drawing and autism. We even knew linkage to cave art. But we did not connect the dots.
07 May 2016, 5:44 pm
