Trained as an architect and deeply influenced by his time with Paolo Soleri in Arizona, while taking classes with Sibyl Moholy-Nagy (the widow of László Moholy-Nagy), Wilson also studied painting with George McNeil. It was during his years at Pratt Institute that he discovered his passion for theater, by immersing himself in the world of dance and inspired by legends like George Balanchine, Merce Cunningham, and Martha Graham. A pivotal moment came when he began working with disabled boys – a key activity that would shape his theatrical vision. In 1968, he founded the “Byrd Hoffman School of Byrds,” an experimental company named in honor of Miss Hoffman, the dance teacher who helped him overcome his stutter.

From this company emerged Deafman’s Glance (1970), the work that established Wilson as the most original director of his generation.
“At center stage was Raymond, a deaf-mute orphan I had adopted to spare him a fate in a reformatory. To communicate with him, I had to reinvent my expressive language, turning this challenge into a stage triumph,” Wilson explained in an interview with GBOPERA.

The seven-hour “silent opera,” built entirely on Raymond’s observations, premiered at the Center for New Performing Arts in Iowa City, featuring a cast that included performance artist Ana Mendieta, among others. It soon made its way to Paris, backed by fashion designer Pierre Cardin and praised by surrealist poet Louis Aragon.