At the heart of Uttech’s oeuvre lies a profound reverence for the natural world, reminiscent of the ancient cave painters who adorned their subterranean sanctuaries with images of the sacred animals that roamed their world. Like those prehistoric artists, Uttech brings the creatures that inhabit his landscapes to the fore. Adorned with soaring flocks of birds and solitary bears standing sentinel amidst the trees, Uttech’s paintings serves as a reminder of the mystical dimension of the wilderness, where the boundary between human and animal dissolves—and a shared reverence for the natural world prevails.

Tom Uttech (b. 1942, Merrill, WI) studied at the Layton School of Art in Milwaukee and at the University of Cincinnati, where he received his MFA in 1976. He currently lives and works in Wisconsin. The artist’s works are included in the collections of the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, AR; Milwaukee Art Museum, New Orleans Museum of Art, and the Smithsoninan American art Museum, among others.