Connecting to the World through Art

by Dora Raymaker · 2009-01-03 11:33:00 UTC
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painting of hands reaching out through telephone wires and technology; words upside down in the top left corner read paint, paste, paper, pushTuscaloosa News ran a story about Mariano Bula, a young artist with an autism diagnosis.

Bula's art (which includes work in a wide range of media) and knowledge of art history is exceptional, and he is able to draw images from memory. Just as (more?) important is Bula's passion for all things art.

While controversies may be flashy, this quiet little piece represented more the world as it is to me, an existence that contains both beauty and frustration, both strength and weakness, both clarity and confusion, and a desire to have my gifts accepted and seen as valuable by others.

How can we change to world so that instead of just aspiring to get Bula "a job working at a local gallery, cleaning and taking care of the art supplies," we instead aspire to give Bula a chance to succeed as a working artist doing what he loves, and being treated with the respect that anyone with his talents deserves?

My only sadness is that no image of Bula's work was included with the piece. Instead here is a piece of my own called "Connection" which is about how I too connect to the world through my art.

Dora Raymaker
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