Getting to know Astro Saulter
Sunday, November 11th, 2012Astro Saulter is a 34 year old artist who lives and works in Negril, Jamaica. Astro who suffers from cerebral palsy is mounting his first show titled ‘Astro: The Morning Star’ on the 17th of November at Studio 174 in Kingston. Get to know Astro more through his own words. Thanks to Storm, Nile and Astro for sharing this information with ARC’s community.
Astro Saulter
I have no voice but I am not silent. I use tools beyond my physical body to communicate. Across the years my voice has been expressed mostly through the written word via a computer, and now, in recent years it has become my artwork, more than words, that has satisfied my deep need to connect with people in an authentic way.
I use my images to tell stories, and capture snippets from my life, share the way that I see them. People and objects that I encounter in my day or see in the landscape around my home, all get woven into my story. My artwork is made up of digital sketches with a loud dose of color inspired by the tropical grandeur of my Caribbean surroundings.
The artistic process takes a huge amount of patience because I am dependent on the medium of computer to create my sketches. There can be unexpected roadblocks that constantly challenge my process, a day that we lose power on our little island road in Jamaica can mean a crashed computer and a whole day or even weeks of work lost.
I truly believe that art is not only something you do and create. It is also a form of expression, and it can reflect the soul. For me, it has become an exercise in joy and faith. It is a kind of meditation that has opened doors to the way that people understand me. I believe that there is art in each single one of us, and we all have our own unique way of creating art and expressing ourselves through this talent.
We are all artists in some form or another. I hope that all people will truly appreciate, and understand the love and effort that goes into my work. To my fellow artists, keep reaching for the stars, and remember, if we have a vision and a passion for something that we really want to do, we can meet that challenge, and succeed in our dream if we try hard enough. All artists are beautiful people, and we really can make a difference in the world with our work that has a positive impact on people in so many ways.
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Through the process of creating, I aim to cultivate a deep connection with people around the world. To celebrate the expression of our individuality in the way in manifests in our artwork and the way we live our lives. I would like to inspire artists and all people to exercise patience and vision and to stay steadfast in their commitment to making their artwork or way in the world. Whatever the challenge, be it a disability like mine or only a small roadblock in their path I’d like to encourage us all to express our true voice in any way that we can.
I would like to express a special word of thanks to my whole family and friends for their years of support, and especially my late mother who was the prime motivator in my life.