©2006 Galerie Beckel-Odille-Boicos
A self-portrait of William Utermohlen in 1967, top, and 2000, above
The New York Times reports about a wonderful – albeit heart-breaking – exibition:
When he learned in 1995 that he had Alzheimer’s disease, William Utermohlen, an American artist in London, responded in characteristic fashion.
“From that moment on, he began to try to understand it by painting himself,� said his wife, Patricia Utermohlen, a professor of art history.
Mr. Utermohlen’s self-portraits are being exhibited through Friday at the New York Academy of Medicine in Manhattan, by the Alzheimer’s Association.
The paintings starkly reveal the artist’s descent into dementia, as his world began to tilt, perspectives flattened and details melted away. His wife and his doctors said he seemed aware at times that technical flaws had crept into his work, but he could not figure out how to correct them.
“The spatial sense kept slipping, and I think he knew,� Professor Utermohlen said. A psychoanalyst wrote that the paintings depicted sadness, anxiety, resignation and feelings of feebleness and shame.
If one wants to understand Alzheimer, if one has a family member who suffers from it for instance, this exhibition might – in my opinion – prove to be very valuable. Looking at the two portraits at the top of this post… they say more than I can ever hope to say: no matter how many words I use.
Also: have a look at the slide show.
