Artworks

P.M. Wentworth (1893-1985)

Though little is known about the artist P.M. Wentworth (born Pearley Meyer Wentworth), and only forty or so drawings of his have been discovered, he remains a compelling figure in the world of self-taught art. His work depicts everything from biblical stories and protozoan creatures to landscapes and the solar system, all with a representational yet metaphysical quality.

 Wentworth first gained recognition when the psychiatrist Tarmo Pasto (best known for his contributions to the preservation of Martín Ramirez’s work) introduced his work to several Chicago artists, including Jim Nutt. Despite the ambiguity of Wentworth’s identity, he quickly achieved notoriety alongside several principal figures in outsider art. His work was featured in American Primitive and Naïve Art at the San Francisco Art Institute, the first exhibition of self-taught art on the West Coast. His art can be found in several prominent institutions and continues to invoke the curiosity of its viewers.