Art, namely visual art, expresses themes in images that cannot be expressed in words. People often consider art to be its own language. It’s not much of a surprise that artists rely on it to spread awareness about abstract topics – especially concepts that are difficult for the human mind to comprehend in mere words.
Alzheimer’s, Dementia, Memory loss; words thrown around without much meaning or comprehension of what exactly it entails. It’s devastating for many – the thought of loved ones getting diagnosed with these diseases, but there is still a lack of understanding of how severe they are. Memory, cognition, and decision making are the pillars of the human intellect. Yet, it’s easy to forget how essential the process is and how much we take our ability to remember for granted.
At the age of 61, American Artist William Utermohlen was suddenly diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Until then, he led a successful and happy life as a talented painter who revelled in success. However, Utermohlen saw his diagnosis not as a setback but as an opportunity to engage and explore art at a profoundly personal level. Thus, he started his mission of painting a series of self-portraits as an ode to his journey and how he felt during his disease.
His portraits initially resembled his features accurately; the sketch realistic and the skill defined. However, his self-portraits and perception of himself later started changing drastically. With his work slowly becoming less realistic and more confused – in terms of proportion and colour – his art mirrored the decaying state of mind. However, what made his work genuinely terrifying was not just his artistic and motor skills dying, as evident in the unrefined, haphazard brushstrokes. Still, a progressive loss of identity, as his portraits gradually stopped resembling himself. Hauntingly, in the last few portraits he painted, the figures he painted didn’t even appear human! His last ever painting was a disconcerting sketch consisting of an outline of his head, containing two lifeless, beady dots presumed to be his eyes with a vague resemblance of a nose and mouth.
After that, William Utermohlen lost his memory and technical skills, and he was not capable of recognising himself. A few years later, Utermohlen passed away, but his legacy remains. His series of self-portraits has since revolutionised how people today perceive dementia, as there is direct documentation of the excruciating pain an individual suffers during the disease. His work is so impactful that the medium of the painting itself portrays his journey while battling the disease, and it has created a lasting impression on how people view these diseases.
