Autistic artist finds inspiration in New York city

By Nick Olivari

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stephen Wiltshire was diagnosed as autistic at aged three, did not speak until five but as an adult sells his art for thousands of British pounds.

Wiltshire was recently in New York for the last of nine massive panoramic drawings of major cities around the world. He has drawn each from his unique memory that stores the complete view of a city after taking a helicopter ride that lasts minutes.

"I see the buildings and the skyline and see it from a bird's eye view," said Wiltshire, 35, of his New York helicopter ride which included views of the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, the Citicorp building, Rockefeller Center and Central Park.

"The whole of Manhattan," he added.

The 20-foot (six meter) New York panorama follows those done in Tokyo, Rome, Hong Kong, Frankfurt, Madrid, Dubai, Jerusalem and London.

Wiltshire said he loves New York and it shows in the shy smile and the way he recounts what attracts him to the city.

"I'm interested to see the skyscrapers and street scenes, the New York taxi cabs, limousines and big American cars," Wiltshire said.

Compared with London, where he was born to West Indian parents, New York "is very huge, of squares and rectangles and very easy avenues," he added.

His love of the city also shows in his favorite movies which include Saturday Night Fever.

"Because it's in the 70s, which I love, and I like the Bee Gees and I think John Travolta is great." Wiltshire said. "He's a great actor and I like his dance moves. He's cool."

Wiltshire's gift was discovered during that difficult childhood where he could not relate to the world, or it to him, and one of the few things that calmed him was to draw.

The first depictions of animals and London buses have evolved into the city scapes, buildings and landmarks that make him an internationally-recognized artist.

"I wanted to draw," Wiltshire said simply. "I feel good. I am pleased with what I am doing."

His main media are pen and ink, pencils, chalk, charcoal and colored pastels on paper.

Though Wiltshire is far from being a struggling artist, he still studies art one day a week in London.