Stephen
Wiltshire regards America as his spiritual home and the Europe Grand Tour which
culminated in the publication of his third book, Floating Cities, was viewed by
him as his overture to the real symphony: 'America, My Favourite'. On a brief
previous trip to America, Stephen had fallen in love with the place and its
people. It required three wonderful trips across the Atlantic to achieve the
breathtaking pictures contained in this book. His American Dream has finally
come true.
Stephen Wiltshire and Margaret Hewson first visited Chicago, birthplace of the
Skyscraper, and then went on to Washington. 'If Chicago is the jazz age to
Stephen, then Washington is plainsong.' writes Margaret Hewson, whose vibrant
text accompanies the drawings. Then came the frenetic cities of San Francisco,
where he drew a stunning aerial view of the city; Los Angeles, where Stephen
was able to act out his own celluliod fantasies; and an inspirational visit to
the Grand Canyon by helicopter. The journey ended in New York, which contains
everything Stephen adores about America - more skyscrapers, yellow cabs,
yowling police-sirens, hamburgers and pretty girls. And, everywhere, classic
American cars.
The drawings in this book are bewitching, the cartoons of friends he made are
charmingly idiosyncratic, and a greater use of colour than in his previous
books adds even more vibrancy. It is generally believed that child autistic
savants lose their talents as they grow older. Stephen Wiltshire's American
Dream graphically demonstrates that this is not so in his case. It is a
stunning tribute to an incredible and awe-inspiring gift.
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