Art and Alzheimer’s Explored
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Last night, Urban Times and GV Art kicked off the first in the Trauma series: a series set to explore the tale of scientific traumas via art. The first destination: Art and Alzheimer’s. Hosted by GV Art at their gallery in Marylebone, London, we were joined by speakers Patricia Utermolhen and Shelley James and special guests Dr. Rachael Davenhill, psychoanalyst and consultant clinical psychologist, and Dr. Steve Gentleman, Professor of Neuropathology in the Department of Medicine at Imperial College London.
William Utermohlen. 1966 An Elder of Santa Zita (Demon and Sinner), Canto 21. 152x122cm oil on canvas
Patricia, art historian, explained what it was like to be married to an artist living with Alzheimer’s as she she was married to late William Utermolhen. William was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 1995 but prior to that he was an exceptional figurative painter and drawer receiving a scholarship to Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in 1951 and enrolling in the Ruskin School of Art in Oxford in 1956. Patricia showed slides of William’s earlier work, before the disease had encroached his mind, and they were bold pieces of art; his work in the 1960′s was inspired by Dante’s Inferno, known as the “Cantos”.
His “Conservation” pieces of the 1990s celebrate the warmth and happiness of Patricia and William’s life together but begin showing signs of distorted perceptions of time in space: typical symptoms of one suffering from Alzheimer’s. Patricia explained that despite in his early career having a figurative style of painting, in his later works, William’s style became true to his German origins and served as more minimalist.
His works of art are not only beautiful in their own right but serve as a unique clinical documentation of the effect that Alzheimer’s has on the mind: a reflection from the inside out; a rare perspective that cannot be gained from reading a textbook. Patricia said that despite physically dying in 2007, William ‘died’ in 2000. One of the only thing that could bring glimmers of himself back was when he was exposed to music. In the audience was former Eurovision song contest winner, Ronnie Carroll, and great friend of William’s. He explained that when he sung for William, even when he could hardly respond to much else, he was moved by the music. In fact, when hearing singer Richard Strauss play on a cassette, tears came streaming down William’s face; and when the cassette stopped, his tears ceased.
William Utermolhen, Snow. 1990-1991. Oil on Canvas 193x241.
Shelley James, glass artist, and with a degree in textiles, MA in printmaking and soon to be PhD from the Royal College of Art gave the perspective from someone who tried to explain such traumas through her artwork. Her piece at the Trauma exhibition, Lesion, displays artistically the effect of memory loss. As Artist in Residence at the Bristol Eye Hospital, Shelley’s work has been inspired by the pioneering research of the ophthalmic surgeon, Professor Andrew Dick, and the Alzheimer’s specialist Dr. Shelley Allen. They describe the patient experience where information seems to get lost or recombined between eye, brain and mind. The themes of identity and perception are central to Shelley’s work and her art explores how signals from the outside world are combined with expectation and memory to create experience. Lesion shows two large blown tubes loop together to suggest the optic nerves, but one is breached in the middle and open at both ends so that a jumble of imprinted beads representing information can be seen and may escape. The piece sits on a curved glass disc to suggest the Petri dishes used by scientists to study these phenomena.
Shelley described that the collaboration between art and science is not only a learning process for the artists and scientists involved but that it can be a useful tool for reassuring patients with Alzheimer’s and their families/loved ones. She explains that being able to look at an animate object which describes what’s going on physiologically can be very useful in understanding elements of dementia. Moreover, patients participating in art of this sort can serve as a sort of therapy for those involved. Ultimately, not enough attention is given to the benefits that art can serve in dealing with diseases such as this.
Shelley James, Lesion
Rachael, head of Age Matters, a clinic, training and consultation service, and a friend of Patricia’s, described the importance of the environment of care giving relating to both professional caregivers and family caregivers. She underlined the huge help that Patricia received from organizations such as the Admiral Nurses who made it possible for Patricia to carry on working despite being the primary caregiver to William. This is brought up at an important time when, just today, reports have revealed on just how unsupported carers are. Rachael also highlighted the necessity of context when caring for someone; it is important to know details of the person you care for before they became ill, because what might be words to a stranger will make sense to someone who knows the patient. Rachael also mentioned just how underfunded the support for dementia is; receiving a minimal amount in comparison to what goes towards cancer; despite both being terminal illnesses in many cases.
Steve, over that past 20 years has run an active research team investigating the pathological changes seen in the brain in neurodegenerative disease and traumatic brain injury. In some of his early work, he identified pathological changes in the brains of people who had died of a serious head injury were very similar to those seen in the early stages of Alzheimer’ disease. He described it was not uncommon for someone who had suffered from a major head injury to then show signs of the disease 15 years down the line. He also explained the importance of targeting this disease before it got too late. Suffering from his own head injury last year, Steve awoke in a confused state 3 days later with no recollection of what happened. He described the irony of the fact that according to his research, his own personal trauma means he may be more susceptible to the disease himself. This has left a lasting footprint on the way that he approaches his research; such as using his own brain scans post head injury when lecturing! Steve offered advice that one should “use it, or lose it” and this rings true following recent reports from the University of California saying that stimulating the brain, e.g. doing puzzles, reading a book, painting lowers the risk of Alzheimer’s.
It was a momentous evening with so many aspects of the disease explored; and so beautifully, via art. Urban Times Production team filmed the event and it is not to be missed. Watch this space! To view the full press release click here.
Next in the series: Invisible Traumas
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