Nobody’s Savant: The Mythic Fantasy of Autistic Genius
I knew I had to write this the moment I left the cinema. I felt so confronted by Nobody’s Sweetie, a documentary about the legacy of abstract painter Dale Frank (b. 1959), diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder in his sixties. I am also an abstract painter, diagnosed with ASD at age sixteen, and now in my thirties. Any connection I have with Frank could appear arbitrary—I have never met him, I have no insight into his identity or experience, and I do not claim to speak for him. Still, I feel I have something at stake in the conversation about his legacy.
Exclusive to the Magazine
Nobody’s Savant: The Mythic Fantasy of Autistic Genius by Nunzio Madden is featured in full in Issue 3 of Memo magazine.
Get your hands on the print edition through our online shop or save up to 20% and get free domestic shipping with a subscription.
Related
Melbourne’s art scene is fertile ground for Tall Poppy proliferation and carnage.
At a time when all these elements are easily replicated by AI and memed on social media, what is often called Anderson’s “twee” aesthetic continues to be derided as all style and no substance.
