Darold Treffert, MD at the Savant Syndrome Website of the Wisconsin Medical Society:
Greg Blackstock has never been happier. Since his recent retirement from the Washington Athletic Club, after 25 years as a dishwasher, he has been able to focus his attention on his two loves, drawing and music. In 2003 his remarkable drawings came to the attention of the Garde Rail Gallery in Seattle, Washington, specialists in ‘Outsider Art” and Greg has become a featured artist there.. Their Web site at www.garde-rail.com describes him thus:
“Greg exhibits many of the remarkable traits of the autistic savant; he speaks many languages, is an incredible mimic, and is able to recall events with uncanny precision… It is without doubt in our minds that Gregory Blackstock would be an artist under any circumstance — his autism did not make him become an artist, nor is he an artist because of it… Through his art and his music, Gregory has effectively been able to combat this disability and to meet the challenge with fantastic results… Gregory’s drawings are often large, on several sheets of paper pieced together by Greg with tape and glue. Using pencil, crayon, ink and marker, Gregory depicts insects and baskets with incredible precision, straight lines and test executed without the aid of a straight rule. The detail is minute, shading impeccable.”
Thanks to Anjuli Raza Kolb for introducing me to this interesting artist.