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GLOUCESTER, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Portraits of men and women diagnosed with dementia line the halls of SeniorCare Inc. in Gloucester, and will remain there until January of next year. Joe Wallace of Carlisle was the photographer for the "Day After Yesterday: Portraits of Dementia" exhibit, and said that the project was designed to provide more than one dimension to the stories of those suffering from dementia or Alzheimer's.
According to the project's website, Wallace was frustrated by the single narrative of dementia that focused on the "futility, despair, and loss." The artist aimed to showcase not just those emotions, but the "love, connection, dignity, and powerful humanity that always remain- in the subjects, in the care-partners, and in the families and communities."
"No big problem, whether it's a medical problem or a social problem, or in this case both, is solved with silence," Wallace told WBZ's Kendall Buhl. On the subjects themselves, Wallace said, "They want to be seen as a whole person, and who they are. That's what comes through from the work and conversations too- this is real life and these are real people."
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In 2021, 50 million people are living with dementia globally, said the project's website, 6 million of which have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's or another dementia in the United States.
In addition to being displayed at SeniorCare, works from the exhibit can also be viewed on the Day After Yesterday: Portraits of Dementia website.
WBZ's Kendall Buhl (@WBZKendall) reports.
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