PHOTO ESSAY: Joel Ross

Joel Ross's photo essay, "Pattern Perception" offers a "neurotypical" perspective on an aspect of autism ...

Joel Ross, whose poem "Face Contention" appears in the poetry section of our gallery, is an amateur photographer with a knack for discovering art and beauty in the commonplace elements of his environment. A 21st-century philosopher and world traveler with fascinating stories to tell, Joel has created a photo essay inspired by his reflections on autism. Read his bio and the poem ...

Photo Essay: Pattern Perception

"To understand is to perceive patterns."

Croatia, Dubrovnik – Candlewax

France, Avignon – Bark

Herndon, Virginia - Red Tree Leaves

Herndon, Virginia - Snow, February 2006

Ireland, Cobh

Ireland, Avoca - Yellow Hose

Turkey, Sultanhan - Caravanserai Steps

"One of my favorite college courses was art appreciation," says Joel. "It taught me to look at my surrounding world through different eyes. As a photographer, I began to recognize scenes and objects with intriguing patterns I had not perceived before -- perhaps an interesting juxtaposition of angles and colors, or repetitive shapes observed in the most unexpected places. People with autism tend to discern patterns where others typically do not, and repetition seems to provide comfort in a world often characterized by chaos. It makes me wonder if this may actually reflect an intuitive method of finding beauty in everyday surroundings, both in nature and among artificially created objects."

Joel's recently published book, Phases of the Moon, is a collection of true stories woven together to tell a tale of adventure that embraces the full range of human emotions. It's impossible to read this book without seeing yourself in the sheer humanness of the experiences Joel recounts!

If you like to uncover fascinating trivia, you'll love Joel's blog, New Under Sol. With his characteristic dry humor, Joel reveals little-known truths about just about every topic you can imagine.