Author Description

"The story of Jonathan Lerman, a young artist with autism, seized the attention of the art world at the 2002 Outsider Art Fair. This selection of more than seventy drawings, with a text by critic Lyle Rexer, presents the full range and astonishing growth of Jonathan's extraordinary talent.". "Diagnosed with autism and at first scarcely able to communicate, Lerman began drawing at age ten. By age twelve his drawings were exhibited in a solo exhibition at K.S. Art in New York. Working with the assurance of a Matisse, the speed of a Picasso, and the humor of a born cartoonist, Lerman has created an unforgettable body of work. His drawings include portraits of actual figures as well as figures from his own imagination, all rendered with great acuity. These drawings overturn the stereotype of the so-called savant artist as an unchanging talent sprung to life fully formed. Instead, they detail the restless experimentation and rapid growth of an artistic sensibility.". "Jonathan Lerman: Drawings by an Artist with Autism is a book not just for art lovers but for everyone who values the rich diversity of the creative imagination. In addition to an illuminating essay on Lerman's work, the book also contains an afterword by Caren and Alan Lerman, Jonathan's parents, describing the sudden appearance of his talent and the challenges and satisfactions of raising a gifted child with autism."--BOOK JACKET.