Stephen Wiltshire is an amazing artist from London who draws accurately detailed buildings and cityscapes all from memory. Diagnosed as autistic at age 3, he has a rare condition called savant syndrome, in which individuals with various developmental disorders, such as autism, posses incredible abilities or talents. Often called the "Human Camera," he can commit entire cityscapes to memory after just a short helicopter ride, reproducing them later on paper as huge panoramas. He can complete these enormous drawings in just over 20 hours of work.
People diagnosed with autism have trouble relating to others socially and tend to be very routine oriented, resisting change and reproducing material rather than producing it creatively. Stephen has overcome both these symptoms in large part, able to hold regular conversation and adding his own style to his drawings. I've attempted similarly detailed drawings of Richmond before, but I had
to draw it in person or use photographs. I can also attest that it takes a huge amount of time and patience. The linework that Wiltshire uses is the rough, hard-edged style that is artistic and hasty up close, but dissolves into perfect representation and perspective from a distance. I've always enjoyed this type of work that embodies the best of both worlds, detailed and accurate but retaining the imperfections that make art unique. He has been featured in a number of documentaries since his childhood, including one very recently, so I'm surprised that I just now found out about his amazing work and story.London panorama
detail of London panorama
Enormous Tokyo panorama
http://www.stephenwiltshire.co.uk
images are from the website
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