David Silvernail surrounded through his artifacts. He and his wife Jane will offer “Eclectic Performances” which will open Nov. 6 at The Art Studio, Inc. Photography through Andy Coughlan
David Silvernail created this from old books. He and his wife Jane will offer “Eclectic Performances” which will open Nov. 6 at The Art Studio, Inc. Photography through Andy Coughlan
David Silvernail shows a “book corner” showing the ancient city of Petra carved into the rock. He and his wife Jane will offer “Eclectic Performances” which will open Nov. 6 at The Art Studio, Inc. Photo via Andy Coughlan
David Silvernail shows a wood carving that reproduces a leather jacket. He and his wife Jane will offer “Eclectic Performances” which will open Nov. 6 at The Art Studio, Inc. Photo via Andy Coughlan
David Silvernail with one of his wood carvings. He and his wife Jane will offer “Eclectic Performances” which will open Nov. 6 at The Art Studio, Inc. Photography through Andy Coughlan
David Silvernail works in his home studio ahead of “Eclectic Interpretations,” which opens Nov. 6 at The Art Studio, Inc. Photo via Andy Coughlan
When David Silvernail was in his fifties, his son was tested for ADD. Among the questions the doctor asked her was whether her child could see the word “cat” in his head. Silvernail learned he couldn’t do that. One thing led to another, David nevertheless learned that he suffered from ghosting.
“It’s an inability to believe things in your head,” he said. “Can you believe an apple in your head? I can’t. In fact, I can’t even believe my children. I don’t know how they look when they’re not there.
This is a condition Silvernail has had since he was a child.
“I didn’t know I had a problem,” he said. I wish I had known at the time because I have trouble visualizing words. You know, how to spell them.
Read avidly. But when spelled, it’s one letter at a time.
David, a wood carver, and his wife Jane, who creates assemblages, will provide their paintings in “Eclectic Interpretations” at The Art Studio, Inc. , beginning Nov. 6. In addition to showcasing his creations, David hopes the exhibition’s publicity will put him in touch with others who have the disease. So far, he has met someone else.
“I have a friend who’s probably in his fifties and we were talking about what I had, and he said, ‘Well, I can’t do that either,'” Silvernail said. “We started talking and he thought, like me, that no one else can do it. “
The term afantasia, taken from the uninspired Greek meaning, coined by neurologist Adam Zeguy in a 2015 study. The inability of some other people to visualize intellectual images had been observed since 1880, yet few studies had been done on the condition. . aimed at a man who suffered a stroke in 2003, however subsequent studies found that it is a disease that affects approximately 2% of the population.
Silvernail’s sculptures imply that “without imagination” is not an absolutely accurate way to describe the condition. However, he is willing to point out that, as uncommon as ghosting is, he does not consider it a disadvantage, and an article in Scientific American cites artists, doctors, Internet designers, architects, scientists, and other creatives who paint successfully, although, like Silvernail, they paint with reference fabrics because they can’t believe what they’re doing.
“There are all kinds of people who have that, who have been successful in life, who have done amazing things,” Silvernail said.
If you think you have afantasia, Silvernail would love to hear it. He can be contacted at dsilver111@aol. com, or encourages others to reach out to him at the show’s opening reception.
For more information, visit the Aphantasia network online page in aphantasia. com.