Lester Magoogan 'taking the mickey out of the world'

Lester Magoogan won National Lottery funding earlier this year for his work, which is on show in the exhibition, Out of Time.

His father, Wesley Magoogan, said the work done by his son is "like a language" - both "organic" and "spontaneous".

"He can't really read or write and is incredibly limited, but he does about 200 line drawings a week," he said.

"He's very observational. He draws what he sees and he takes the mickey out of the world very well."

In a letter to the Magoogan family in 2001, Spike Milligan wrote: "Lester's drawings show his keen sense of humour - his minimalist approach only goes to show that less can mean more."

In Like Father Like Son, which Lester says represents himself and his father, the drawing of an argument changes their heights so the father is shown as smaller than the son.

But Mr Magoogan said his son also has his serious side.

One drawing, called Tears, was originally called September 12, and showed Lester's reaction to the terror attacks in New York.

Lester Magoogan's work is on show at the Tate Modern

Mr Magoogan said: "There's a heap of rubble on the ground with the clouds above - and the clouds are crying."

On Lester's website, celebrity jazz singer George Melly has written: "Lester has all the spontaneity of Miro and Dubuffet; but having no training there is an immediacy that many great artists have sought within themselves, but few achieve."

Mr Magoogan said: "The drawing of Love is immensely Picasso-like, but he knows nothing about art, although the first time he saw the Tate Modern he thought it was great. He loved it."

Out of Time is being shown at the Tate Modern until 19 December, after which it will tour to other venues around the UK.

The exhibition is to mark the 10th anniversary of the Millennium Commission.

It has been created to celebrate the projects which have been achieved with National Lottery funding.