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Click on picture to see larger whole image Watercolor by Julie Cohn This painting, "Black, White and Gray," is Julie Cohn's written feelings arising from an interview with Tim Simpson. The accompanying text, written by Tim Simpson, represents some of his feelings about his life and disability.	"Black, White and Gray" Tim Simpson, 20 years old, Berkeley, California Biographical materials	Picture Details Click on the pictures below to see details of the painting
	Hell I walk in darkness on the devil's path. He whispers to me "You have not yet felt my wrath, and when you do you may go home to live forever all alone." Magical Light Specks of iridescent light come from a star in the sky while people below sleep in their beds. Because of this light that comes from the sky they forget their fears and their dreads. A Plea to the Good Spirits Spirits of good in the dreamy sky I call thee here tonight. Midnight cast an evil spell to take me where the devil dwell. He who rules eternal hell and I am in a fright. Help me become brave enough to destroy the force of night and walk into the rainbow door and face eternal light. - Poems by Tim Simpson
The Athlete, Tim Simpson:
For Tim, most days are black and white. Opposite moods will dominate his mind and creativity: on one hand, the whimsical and playful, on the other, the dark and demonic. Every day Tim grapples with Tourette's syndrome, which affects his attention span, social interactions, and logical thinking. This syndrome affects each person differently. Some people are only troubled by ticks, which are manifested through jerky movements. Medication can help to minimize these movements. A stronger case of Tourette's syndrome is shown by an attention deficit, and in people more affected, occasional or frequent socially inappropriate language, like blurted out obscene or nonsequential words and phrases. Tim doesn't make jerky movements often, but he does say things that shock people. Another behavior that shows the severity of Tourette's syndrome in Tim is his obsessive thoughts and behavior. Sometimes he fears that dark aliens and demons will take over his mind, while other times, he likes the scariness of them. Some of his sculptures, demonic in nature, seem to help him play out his fears so that he can accept his dark side and leave his obsession behind. But often these demons still haunt him. His other sculptures bring to surface the playful, carefree child whose imagination is also soaring, but this time to a lighter place. Tim has a gift for writing poetry as well. Tim is fortunate to contribute to and have a very loving, caring family. He is full of an enthusiasm, which, despite his daily discouragements, keeps him full of creativity as he develops his artistry. He graduated from high school last year with the help of a tutor who kept him motivated even when his attention waned. He wants to interact with the world in a way that is acceptable and knows that as he matures he will have more control over his behavior. If he had a choice, however, between the gift of a million dollars or a rationally functioning brain, his dream come true would be to have a new brain. I understand Tim's yearning, yet I appreciate him the way he is: caring, personable and sensitive.I believe he understands the subtlety of life's gray areas more than he realizes, and with time, he will also appreciate his immense talents and growing capacity to feel comfortable with people and to eventually lead a more independent life. In "Black, White and Gray", Tim's sculptures are unharnessed dreams, memories and realities.He never seems to censor his emotions in his art, allowing the feeling of the moment to create each sculpture. My invented animal shapes that float between the gray matte and the painting tie together the black, white, and gray in Tim's life, his solid gray matter living harmoniously with his black, white, and multicolored imagination.