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The name of William Utermohlen is often not well known within or outside the art world, but for those are familiar with his work, most often they will instantly think of the many self portraits he created towards the end of his life, that detail quite a heartbreaking aspect of life that many of us experience firsthand at some stage. Utermohlen embarked on a remarkable artistic journey that offered a profound glimpse into the depths of the human mind and the relentless grip of Alzheimer's disease. As the disease gradually eroded his cognitive abilities, Utermohlen turned to his art, specifically self-portraits, to chronicler his deteriorating self-perception and the disintegration of his identity.

To this day, Utermohlen's self-portraits stand as a poignant testament to the human spirit's resilience in the face of devastating adversity. His paintings, spanning from the early stages of his diagnosis in 1995 to his final works in the year 2000, offer a raw and intimate portrayal of the artist's struggle to maintain a sense of self as his cognitive abilities slipped away.

In his earlier self-portraits, Utermohlen's features remain recognizable, albeit imbued with a sense of growing anxiety and confusion. But over time, his brushstrokes become increasingly fragmented, reflecting the fragmentation of his own perception. By the end, his self-portraits had transformed into abstract expressions of fear, isolation, and despair.

In this video, we will be taking that same journey together, to see how Utermohlen’s final self-portraits transcend the realm of mere artistic expression and how they serve as a powerful visual narrative of the human experience within the confines of Alzheimer's disease.

This is the story of the final self portraits of William Utermohlen.

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Artist Corner:

I'm thrilled to introduce you to the chilling art of Adam Yates for this videos Artist Corner segment. Please head to the links below to see more of his work and show some support!:

Instagram:   / adamxyates  
Twitter (X):   / adamyatesart  

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Submit your art, support the channel or say hi:

Email - [email protected]
Patreon -   / blinddweller  
Instagram -   / blinddweller  
Discord -   / discord  

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Intro/outro music written and produced by Andrew Yeoman (kitmosis)