James Andrew Artman is an artist who was raised in Milwaukee, from his birth there in 1969. His father was killed in Vietnam two months before Andrew was born. At...
James Andrew Artman is an artist who was raised in Milwaukee, from his birth there in 1969. His father was killed in Vietnam two months before Andrew was born. At the age of three, Andrew was diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder with Autistic Tendencies, later redefined as Autism Spectrum Disorder. Andrew’s need to create art began early. He drew compulsively and experimented with painting and sculpture. He attended art classes at the Milwaukee Art Museum. Because of his encyclopedic knowledge of cars, Andrew's works feature a car as the main focal point. The drawings are then filled from edge to edge with various elements of the period that have made an impression on him, including film, tv, and cartoon characters, toilets, flags, clocks, local architecture, and acquaintances. Andrew’s switch to his current colorful style during the pandemic has brought him to the next level with exciting, sometimes pleasing, sometimes discordant color combinations. Most of his current works are graphite on 8.5 x 11 inch copy paper, overlaid with ink and marker. He backs each work with strips of Scotch Tape. Each piece is visually intriguing and evocative, with phenomenal detail and the captivating perspective of a neurodiverse individual.