I think that life is the most defined concept in the world. Perhaps, there couldn’t be any one who hasn’t defined it. It is neither a bundle of problems nor a poor folk tale. There were models, who lived as loadstars, never to fade away. Those were people who lived in the reality of the present. John Smith, born in Philadelphia in 1921 was destined to suffer severe spastic cerebral palsy right from childhood days onwards. He lost control of his face and hands; could not even eat, clothe or bath for himself. He could not even express himself. His doctors, who predicted an early departure, but did not live to see him go first. He changed all odds with his determination. It took him 16 years to learn to speak – and 32 to learn to walk.
Early in life Paul learned the technique of creating pictures with a typewriter. He was able to use one hand to steady the other and thus press the desired key. He was creating typewriter art by the age of 15 and steadily kept on refining his technique. He lived at a time when opportunities were limited. He never went to School and was not taught to read or write. He continued creating typewriter pictures until 2004 in which his cataracts worsened. Paul did not know about fame and publicity and he did not publish any works. Later, his works have been collected into several books of art. The world lost Paul Smith at the age of 85, but not before several generations had an opportunity to admire his distinct and intricate gallery of art. His legacy continues. He is known worldwide as the ‘Typewriter Artist’. And by the time Paul quit creating beautiful pictures with thousands of delicate key strokes, he left behind hundreds of extraordinary, thought-provoking pieces that make a statement not only about their subject matter, but especially about how they were created.
Whenever I think of people, known to others as complaint boxes, I remember people like John Smith.
Joseph Mattappally
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