MAKING MEANING An exhibition of figurative, abstract and photographic art works

One of the most well known people with autism in the world, DONNA WILLIAMS is best known as an internationally best-selling author. With 10 published books, she is also an artist, sculptor, singer-songwriter, screenwriter and public speaker. She has exhibited in New York, her work has featured in art books, magazines and newsletters around the world and sold internationally.

Donna’s husband, CHRIS SAMUEL is a Systems Manager in Super Computing. A regular blogger, his site at www.csamuel.org receives thousands of visitors a month and features his writings on a range of social and environmental topics. He been doing photography since his teens and first exhibited his photography in 2009.

WHERE: The Bakery @ 1812 Theatre, 3 Rose St, Upper Ferntree Gully

TIMES: Wednesday-Saturday:  8.30pm – 11pm,  Sundays: 4pm – 6.30pm

ENQUIRIES: admin@1812theatre.com or phone 97583964    WEB: www.1812theatre.com.au

COST: There is no cost for the exhibition and 10% of all proceeds will benefit the 1812 community theatre.

This item originally posted here:

Making Meaning – an art show

And colored cloth waved in the breeze from a string clothes line suspended between the shed and the house.  It made colors against the white of the house.  The dog tore the waving colors from the line, one, then another, happily pulling the colors to pieces and going back for more.  The girl squealed gleefully for it was such a happy sight.

Then the back door swung open and the world changed.

An adult emerged, a wooden bat in hand.  The dog ran.  The adult called it.  It cowered and looked to the girl.  She had frozen.  It whined in terror.  Blow after blow crashed onto the dog as it yelped and it’s fur turned wet and it’s blood was burgundy against the black curly fur.  It tried to stand but its legs were broken.  It’s face was smashed.  The girl was commanded to watch or it would happen to her.  Then the bat was brought down and broke the dog’s back and it collapsed like a rag doll, splayed on the ground, one of its paws almost covering its smashed face.

The girl was sick but didn’t even dare vomit.  She didn’t scream.  Only the old woman in the laneway pleaded for the dog’s life.  But that never stopped a psychopath high on the adrenaline of murder.  When she was commanded to help bury the dog the 9 year old couldn’t move.  But someone did, someone not her.  She had dissociated.  The dog was buried in the corner of the garden, under the willow tree at the far left hand corner by the back fence.  That night the someone who had helped bury it laid in a prison bedroom, unable to say a word.  In that back garden other selves would sit and swing and swim and play.  And one would stare at the willow tree in silence.

The reality was so overwhelming it was painted into an alternative reality in a painting named ‘If‘.  When that 9 year old returned during a PTSD episode and finally screamed as her now safe home derailed into that back garden like a train crashing from the past through the present, others visited.  One lit candles and paid homage.  One retrieved a hidden painting from 15 years ago of the dog, the bear dog, laying in its blood and placed it by the candles.  One painted a goodbye picture to the spirit of that dog, called The Escapee showing the 9 year old flying into the sky with that dog.  Three days later all of the others placed a statue of a bear on the altar that had been made for all the dead animals, in honor of that nameless dog and invited its spirit to a safer place of rest.

Donna Williams.

This item originally posted here:

The Escapee – story of a bear, a dog, and a painting.

Ranging from surreal, to grungy, from romantic, to funny, from political to symbolic and everywhere in between, the poems were as diverse as the titles sent in.   I gathered them into a collection called Weirdos Like Me.  It’s a collection of poetry, art and surrealism.  Amidst the poetry are also song lyrics to songs by Donna And The Aspinauts with whom I am the lead singer and main singer-songwriter.

As a author, singer-songwriter, artist, sculptor, screenwriter, each element of my ARTism and my journey from autism into ARTism involved a series of mentors. In poetry, my mentor was the man who barely got to see it, my father, John Williams, who I knew as ‘Jackie Paper’. Sometimes ghosts make great mentors. I hope my works haunt you in a good way and take you to other places and spaces as art should.

Thank you.

Donna Williams

Ever The Arty Autie

http://www.donnawilliams.net

http://www.myspace.com/nobodynowherethefilm

http://www.aspinauts.com

This item originally posted here:

Weirdos Like Me

SNOW

Confetti soft, it fell, calling me, the girl from a land of sun.

From the window it took my heart.

My feet ran me down the stairs.

I turned, music box dancer in a world of falling sky

And I knew snow.

The dawn was dark, against the night.

White soot fell from black sky, around bare feet.

For the first time? Of course.

Snow virgin.

The prostitute stood pure in the snow.

It entered, holy into boots, and plastic bags, they crunched,

Binding homeless feet, and shoes with sole,

The snow came through the doors,

And all I could do was smile,

In this magic world.

Snow, do you not know, these dirty hands?

This mouth of sewer words?

These feet have wandered gutters of such privileged lands.

But here, you fall upon me, clean and bright.

Your frosted lips they kiss away the footprints

of a thousand dirty nights.

And laugh, is all a fool can do

as you, ignore my inequality,

pretending like no humans do

that I’m in fact an equal

in this crazy human zoo.

Donna Williams, Dip Ed, BA Hons.
Author, artist, singer-songwriter, screenwriter.
Autism consultant and public speaker.

http://www.myspace.com/nobodynowherethefilm
http://www.donnawilliams.net
http://www.aspinauts.com

This item originally posted here:

Snow

My original art works have been exhibited and sold nationally and internationally and usually sell for $100-$1,500.  The Limited Edition prints are from collections of only 50 meaning that after 50 art prints are made of each of the original works these are derived from no more art prints will be made so there will only ever be 50 of these in the world.

Have a look at them.  These usually sell for $85 but in the sale start at $20.  So if you’ve wanted one of my original artworks, or want to buy one as a fundraiser for a charity auction, now’s a good time to grab one in this sale.  It lasts 6 days so be quick.  You can find the ebay link here

Happy bidding.

Warmly,

Donna Williams *)
author, artist, singer-songwriter, screenwriter.

http://www.donnawilliams.net
http://www.myspace.com/nobodynowherethefilm

http://www.aspinauts.com

• Web site: www.donnawilliams.net

• 2004: Postcard Exhibition, Linden Gallery, Melbourne
• 2005: * Original works and prints, Art@8 Gallery, Melbourne (solo)
• 2005: Frankston Festival Art Exhibition, Melbourne
• 2006: * Autism and Sensing, Vanguard Gallery, Melbourne (solo)
• 2007: * Alternative Normalities, Gallery 15, Melbourne (solo)
• 2007: Spectrum art auction, Cornwall, UK
• 2007: Prism Gallery, Huntington, Virginia, USA
• 2008: * Alternative Normalities, Grenfell Gallery, Adelaide, Australia (solo)
• 2008: World Autism Awareness Art Exhibition, United Nations Building, New York, NY, USA
• 2008: The Savant Exhibition, Manhattan Children’s Centre, New York, NY
• 2008: * Beyond Words, Gallery 15, Melbourne, Australia (solo)
• 2008: Footsteps Gallery, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
• 2009: * A Place of Belonging, Grenfell Gallery, Adelaide, Australia (solo)
• 2009: Jarmbi Gallery, Burrinja Cultural Centre, Melbourne, Australia
• 2009: UN Plaza, New York, NY, USA

• 1990: Nobody Nowhere became a number one international best-seller and was the first mainstream published autobiography of a person diagnosed with autism. It was a controversial and groundbreaking book at that time which became translated into 20 languages, was 10 weeks at number one on the New York Times Best-Seller list and sold over half a million copies. Its worldwide exposure paved the way for so many others who have since had their works published throughout the world.
• 1992: Somebody Somewhere also became an international number one best-seller.
• 1996: Autism; An Inside Out Approach.
• 1998: Autism and Sensing; The Unlost Instinct.
• 1998: Like Colour To The Blind.
• 2003: Exposure Anxiety; The Invisible Cage of Involuntary Self Protection Responses.
• 2004: Everyday Heaven.
• 2004: Not Just Anything.
• 2005: The Jumbled Jigsaw.

• 1999: Nobody Nowhere (named after the book)
• 2005: Mutation

In 2000 two songs from the Nobody Nowhere album were featured in a Japanese TV series, Things You Taught Me (TBS) that has been released internationally and released on the soundtrack for the film.

In 2007 and 2008 two tracks from the Nobody Nowhere album made the top 50 on Artist Underground and the track Beautiful Behavioural Mutations had 15,000 hits in a year on You Tube.

In 2008 Donna formed an inter-arts rock band, Donna and The Aspinauts which began performing in 2009.

• 2005: Wrote the screenplay to Nobody Nowhere (now under option to Hollywood producer Beverly Nero).
• 2005-2006: Wrote 5 other feature films, now represented by a Hollywood film agent, Liz Hanley of Bicoastal Talent, Burbank, CA.
• 2007: Awarded a commendation for the feature film screenplay The Tower.

I featured in four television documentaries:

• 1993: Autism, Emotion and Behavior, Eye to Eye with Connie Chung, USA
• 1995: Jam Jar, Fresh Film, in association with Channel 4, UK
• 1995: Krankheit Als Schicksal, Spiegel TV, Germany
• 1995: Yokoso Watashi No Sekai E “Jiheisho” Donna Williams, NHK, Japan

and five other television appearances:

• 1992: Person Of The Week on Peter Jennings, ABC News, USA
• 1998: Midlands Today Evening News, UK : appeared with my life sized sculpture, My World, The World
• 1994: Norwegian Evening News, Norway.
• 1999: BBC, UK.
• 2006: Insight, SBS, Australia.
• 2007: Win News, Channel 9, Australia.
• 2008: Visions, Channel 31, Melbourne, Australia

• New York Times (US)
• Los Angeles Times (US)
• Boston Globe (US)
• Washington Post (US)
• Toronto Star (Canada)
• National Post (Canada)
• Maclean’s Magazine (Canada)
• Mirabella (US)
• Life Magazine (UK)
• Hello (UK)
• Women’s Day (UK)
• The Guardian (UK)
• The Mail (UK)
• The Express (UK)
• The Independent (UK)
• The Age (Australia)
• Leader (Australia)
• MX (Australia)
• Other publications in Norway, Germany, Israel, France, Japan, Italy.

• Women’s Hour, Jenny Murray, BBC, UK
• Morningside Program, Peter Gzowski, CBC, Canada
• National Public Radio, New York, USA
• Autism One Radio, USA
• ABC, Sydney, Australia
• 3CR, Melbourne, Australia
• MDR, Melbourne, Australia
• Also featured on German radio.

This item originally posted here:

a 2nd 6 Day Ebay Christmas Art Sale – Limited edition prints by Donna Williams

Its from my Dreamscapes/Faceless collection and features a Rabbit and his Person in a cradle like boat on a lagoon.  Each appears waiting for the other to navigate and because neither do, the water itself navigates them.  They drift in silence, just ‘being’.   The Velveteen Rabbit was a book by Margery Williams about a stuffed rabbit who longs to be a real rabbit.   The work is acrylic on paper, 31cm x 41cm.

I hope you enjoy the painting.  It is one I did this week, the rest of which you can see in my online gallery.

Warmly,

Donna Williams *)

http://www.donnawilliams.net

This item originally posted here:

ARTISM blog – Artwork of the month: July 09 “The Velveteen Rabbit”

It features two of my faceless people standing in a forest at ‘the edge of the earth’.  Whilst they are grounded in a tangible reality, beneath them is a realm of intangible emotions.  One is tentatively asking the other a question but the other person is unable to answer.  The work is acrylic on paper, 31cm x 41cm.

I hope you enjoy the painting.  It is one I did last week, the rest of which you can see in my online gallery.

Warmly,

Donna Williams *)

http://www.donnawilliams.net

This item originally posted here:

Artism Blog – artwork of the month: July 09 “Life On Earth”

And it was at the typewriter that I began to find I could express something more than echoed speech.  I was about 9 years old when a typewriter was left in my room for my discovery.  Being a child with extreme Exposure Anxiety, I was reticent about it.  Surely it was an attempt to test me out, to get me to accept it, and clearly it was of ‘their world’, not mine.  But in time I can to press its letter buttons and metal rods rose up and typed letters onto the carriage.  In time I found it had acquired paper and to my horror, when I typed, the letter remained on the page.  But as nobody came running, no social invaders circled this new beast, I continued to type letters until I had long strings of them, line after line.

Then something wonderful happened.  Amidst the letter strings was the word ‘bob’ and I had read it out loud, felt it in my mouth and realised I could type words the other way too.  I could say them, then type them.  And so I did.  From bobobobobbobobobobo to catacatacatacat and then came word lists.  I had acquired volition over speech and had learned to think then type.

Three years later, I could type poetry.  So the painting of the typewriter is a memorial to being a child with a typewriter and how a machine taught me what people could not and how solitude was my classroom, and how all our lives are long strings of ‘if only X, Y and Z’ in some funky roll of the dice.  The purple of the work is because the room back then was purple, a color I feared but which I’ve come to accept.  She is faceless because I am faceblind and because I experience far more in people’s movements without attending to faces.  It is painted in acrylic paint onto cloth which is very unusual to paint on. It is flanked either side by patterned silver vinyl which I think I chose because the memory the painting is derived from is a sacred one.

I hope you enjoy the painting.  It is one of a series I did last year, the rest of which you can see in my online gallery.

Warmly,

Donna Williams *)

http://www.donnawilliams.net

This item originally posted here:

ARTISM blog – art work of the month – June 09 “At The Typewriter”

  Christophe Pillault

There’s an empathy Christophe appears to have with his figures and one can only presume he feels acutely the movements of people and watches the nuances of their interactions.

Quoting Dr Lawrence Becker:

“His paintings are striking due to the imagery, fascinating, improbable, and sometimes mystic characters represented. It appears often that he is painting ethereal beings. It is a strange world in which we can penetrate with the renewed wonder of childhood”.

Whilst Stephen Wiltshire’s remarkable streetscapes and skylines are highly detailed and reflect an Eidetic Memory (actually uncommon in those with autism) and a mind passionate about structures, Christophe Pillault’s work expresses a whole other side of autism, a side deep in empathy and intuition.

  Christophe’s work is wonderfully flowing, fluid, graceful, abstract and so beautifully sparse and uncluttered.

  Christophe is not alone in being a figurative artist with autism.  Other famous figurative autistic artists include Mark Rimland , the amazing faces done by Jonathan Lurhman and the lovingly created and highly animated animal sculptures of Alonzo Clemons.

Donna Williams *)

http://www.donnawilliams.net

http://www.aspinauts.com

This item originally posted here:

The Soulful Figurative Works of Autistic Artist Christophe Pillault

I spend most of my days in silence, though it never feels that way because when I type I feel I’m speaking, when I play piano I feel I’m speaking, when I paint or sculpt I feel I’m speaking, just speaking through my fingers is my forte, its my home.  I am also a people watcher, and a studier or form and pattern, or architecture and space.  I trace lines, find symmetry, feel space through my body.  For me, the painting captures that natural ‘outsider’ but also the observer who is at a crossroads surrounded by the homes of people whose lives are all in there behind the walls.  Yet the street is abandoned, Eleanor is free to walk them, to know those lives from the other side of a wall.  And the crossroad, too, is symbolic.  In this case of development and its stages and the choices of direction which face us at life’s crossroads.

The work is acrylic on vinyl, in fact painted on wallpaper.  I chose to do this one in monochrome because I like the lack of distraction in monochrome works.  Like most of my figurative works, Eleanor is faceless, partly because I’m faceblind but also because this allows her to be any one of us, you, me, the stranger in the street.

Eleanor was painted on the same day as two other works, The Headless Hat and All At Sea, which are also monochrome works.

Hope you enjoyed the painting.  You can find Eleanor and more of my works in my online gallery.

Warmly,

Donna Williams *)

author, artist, singer songwriter, screenwriter

http://www.donnawilliams.net

This item originally posted here:

ARTISM blog – art work of the month – May 09 “Eleanor”