Starving Art Ep. 11: William Utermohlen and the Artist in Decline

2021-02-24

Listen in to the tale of William Utermohlen, whose gradual decline as a result of Alzheimer's disease was searingly documented in his late works. Throughout the last decade of his artistic career, we track how his illness was present and presented in his art. From the premonitions of his Conversation Pieces, the reaction to his diagnosis in Blue Skies, and the downward spiral evident in his late self-portraits, the art world and the medical community found significance in his attempts at expression despite immense difficulty. Fourteen...

Listen in to the tale of William Utermohlen, whose gradual decline as a result of Alzheimer's disease was searingly documented in his late works. Throughout the last decade of his artistic career, we track how his illness was present and presented in his art. From the premonitions of his Conversation Pieces, the reaction to his diagnosis in Blue Skies, and the downward spiral evident in his late self-portraits, the art world and the medical community found significance in his attempts at expression despite immense difficulty. Fourteen years after his death, we remember and lift up his heroic battle with a disease that affects six million Americans.

Sources/Works Referenced:

Blue Skies

Conversation Pieces: Snow, Bed

Patrice Pollini's Commentary on the Conversation Pieces

The Lancet Paper on William Utermohlen (Free once you register for an account)

Patricia Utermohlen's Essay on William's work

For more on William Utermohlen's other works and much more commentary, go to williamutermohlen.org

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