July 26, 2008 – Aug 3, 2008
Daily
Despite a well-respected decades-long career, painter William Utermohlen didn't enjoy widespread fame until he became unable to make art or communicate. When the septuagenarian, now in a nursing home, was first diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 1995, he began a series of self-portraits to document the progressive deterioration of his mind and talent. In these heartbreaking works, Utermohlen's once-refined figurative style changes drastically; perspectives warp, details become abstract, and formerly intricate brushwork turns blurry. Portraits from the Mind: The Works of William Utermohlen, 1955-2000 showcases art from his early career, along with the pieces that chronicle the artist's slow slide into dementia.
– Suzanne Niemoth