Self Portraits Chronicle Alzheimer's Ravages

Today's Star Ledger featured an absolutely fascinating Associated Press story on Page 3 about a Philadelphia artist, William Utermohlen, who has documented the progression of his Alzheimer's Disease by self portraits over time.

The College of Physicians of Philadelphia is featuring an exhibit of Mr. Utermohlen's work from the time he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease in 1995 to his last attempt in 1999-2000. This exhibit of more than a dozen portraits commemorate the artist's life and the centenary of the discovery of the disease.

The artist is still alive in a London nursing home but has lost his ability to communicate. The artist knew in his later works that his renderings became spatially inaccurate, but he did not know how to fix them. Researchers are finding this work valuable not only to help understand how different parts of the brain are usied in creating art. It is also valuable to understand that the artist still had the desire to create as the disease progressed, despite the loss of skills.

For more information, here is the link to the article. The Star Ledger story includes 2 photos.
http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/index.ssf?/base/news-5/114197369449770.xml&coll=1