Jarrett Camp West Covina, California Award of Excellence $2,000 Age 25

"My work is generated from my disability of dyslexia. My gear is shifted."

Jarrett Camp first became interested in art when observing his father who is an artist and musician. After many years of practice, he settled on a style using pen and ink with color in only one aspect. Two weeks before Camp finished high school, a teacher suggested he might have dyslexia. "I was motivated to learn how to turn this disability into an advantage by making mind challenging work." Diagnosed with several learning disabilities, Camp chose to focus on his strengths of perceptual organization, and began to incorporate multiple perspectives within his work. He also experimented with pointillism, eventually developing a style that is distinctly his own. He credits his disability for the discovery of his technique. "My disability became the friend that was never invited. If I never knew that I had a disability, I would have never known I had this ability. My disability has become the strength in my artwork, playing a major role in my education." Camp's use of color is meant to attract and entertain the viewer, enticing a moment to linger. In the piece The Confusion, Camp employs a jungle scene that, when upside down, portrays New York City.

www.jarretttcamp.com

Influential Art Teachers/Professors:
Ms. Olson, West Covina High School, California