# Specialisterne: leveraging the unique skills of Autistics at competitive market terms **URL:** \ **Category:** Lounge\ **Created:** [May 10, 2011, 7:15am UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/specialisterne-leveraging-the-unique-skills-of-autistics-at-competitive-market-terms/50245 "2011-05-10T07:15:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 122
**Author:** ![Visionary7903](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/45deac/32.png) [@Visionary7903](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/Visionary7903)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2012, 5:53pm UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/specialisterne-leveraging-the-unique-skills-of-autistics-at-competitive-market-terms/50245/122 "2012-04-29T17:53:24Z")
Another Philippines-born artist on the Autism Spectrum is John Patrick McKenzie. He came to the United States at just 2 years of age with his family and only began to speak in full sentences in adolescence. The San Francisco-based artist is known for creating works of visual poetry. McKenzie’s art works are produced at Creativity Explored, a nonprofit visual arts center where people with developmental disabilities create, exhibit and sell art. McKenzie, who has been attending Creativity Explored for almost two decades, is among their biggest sellers with his art work being collected by collectors in the San Francisco Bay Area, as well as by Michael Stipe of the band R.E.M… > [@](#): > > …John Patrick McKenzie is known internationally for his signature calligraphic ink works on paper. His stream of consciousness texts oscillate between cultural commentary, ptic musing, and the systematic naming and ordering of things: words, objects, birthdays, etc. They are Full of Holy Nonsense, the first solo exhibition of McKenzie’s work at Creativity Explored Gallery, thoughtfully represents various overarching themes in the artist’s repertoire" wordplay, math calculations, one-liners, 3D drawings" and also highlights a few of McKenzie’s recent and lesser-known works on wood and found materials. Just as his style of working frequently changes, so do the meanings of his messages: unusual word pairings and phrases sometimes evoke a deep sadness, and are at other times full of great whimsy… For an excellent analytical article on what makes John Patrick McKenzie’s art so special see the following link: [John Patrick McKenzie: Drawing Words to Transcend Definitions and Make Words More Meaningful by Eileen Tabios](http://www.oovrag.com/essays/essay2005b-6b.shtml) Some more of John Patrick McKenzie’s unique art can be sampled here: [John Patrick McKenzie – WESTERN PROJECT](http://www.western-project.com/artists/john-patrick-mckenzie/) [Creativity Explored](http://www.creativityexplored.org/artists/john-patrick-mckenzie) [ART BRUT / collection ABCD :: McKENZIE john patrick](http://www.abcd-artbrut.net/spip.php?article1337) (source: [Creativity Explored](http://www.creativityexplored.org/press-room/2257/they-are-full-of-holy-nonsense)) --- _[View the full topic](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/specialisterne-leveraging-the-unique-skills-of-autistics-at-competitive-market-terms/50245)._