the artist... Joe Bishop
Joe was born in 1982 in Portland, Maine. He was born with a rare birth defect, agenesis of the corpus callosem. The bundle of nerve fibers that connect the right and left hemispheres of the brain was missing. This has caused him to be very severely physically disabled and unable to speak or do much of anything physically for his entire life. However, his intelligence and soul are intact.
His early years, with an under aged mother, were very difficult and were defined by neglect. Struggling to survive, at age five, Joe went to live with Pat Berney, his special education teacher. This marked the beginning of a new life for him.
During the following two decades, Pat and Joe forged an indelible bond and traveled the United States, having adventures wherever they went. They eventually settled in Oklahoma, where Joe did most of his growing up. During these years, swimming was a major source of joy for Joe. It was the only activity that he could participate in without assistance. He graduated from high school in 2002. Throughout the entire first part of his live, he was without a voice - a passive onlooker of life. As he grew, swimming became more difficult and eventually one of his few realms of freedom partially dissolved.
and paint he did...
Then in 2005, he moved to Colorado Springs and began attending Pikes Peak Community College. He decided to try an oil painting class as an elective. With the use of an adaptive splint to hold the brush for him, the support of his attendant, Pat, and the guidance of painter/instructor, Laura BenAmots, Joe was able to paint. And paint he did. Painting has quickly become the major focus and activity in his life. After 25 years, Joe has finally found his voice and a way to interact directly with his environment. His paintings are full of his inner spirit and communicate his very essence, struggles, and joy. Through painting, Joe is no longer merely a passive onlooker; he is now able to actively participate in and contribute to his world.