Daniel Curtis Wattenbarger

Origins

Daniel Curtis Wattenbarger (1986-?) is an American artist, writer, philosopher, autistic savant and child prodigy. Best known for his prodigious output (up to 40 drawings a day) he has drawn continuously and tirelessly since he was a boy. Born in rural Washington State, he received his first training in drawing from his father who was a sculptor and jeweler. From an early age he was able to produce remarkably accurate and precise drawings, and was able to draw from memory with abnormal precision. He quickly advanced in sculpture as well, able to sculpt the cows near his hometown of South Prairie Washington with great precision in clay, entirely from memory. Wattenbarger is diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, something that he attributes many of his unique abilities to. He was among the first graduating class of Tacoma School of the Arts High School in Tacoma, Washington where he received much notariety for the precision of his drawings, and his ability to rotate forms in his mind, then draw them from different angles. He won the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction Award in 2004, the drawing of which was highly visible in the Public Education Building in Olympia, Wa.
He attended Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland Oregon, then Portland State University.
He currently works as an artist and illustrator in Tacoma, Wa.

Savant Skills
Wattenbarger has unusual memory, something that he attributes to synesaesia, or cross sensory perception. He claims to be able to see and taste sound, as well as experience numbers and letters as colors. He has remarkable spatial abilities and is able to judge distances with remarkable precision, which he utilizes in the creation of his works of art. Wattenbarger has written four books, which are to be be published in 2009 and 2010, as he states on his website.
He has taken part in research through Cambridge Autism Research Center and through local autism agencies.

Advocacy
Daniel Curtis Wattenbarger is also suffers from bipolar-two disorder as well as severe attention deficeits. He is an advocate for autism inside and out of educational institutions.

Notes and references

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