Rose deSmith Greenman didn't start making art until age 71. From 1970-1977, deSmith Greenman began making drawings of her home and garden while managing Alzheimer's. She spent most hours alone, furiously interpreting her world with pencil, pen, and crayons. In 1977, she abruptly stopped making art, leaving behind a legacy of nearly two thousand drawings.
The views of her garden and her neighbors' homes evoke a child-like poeticism, while the intricacy of her markmaking reflects the careful observation of someone who has spent years studying her surroundings.
I first encountered her work in a migrainous panic as I was leaving Outsider Art Fair. Rendered unable to speak, I slipped away without a proper goodbye.
I couldn't stop thinking about Rose: her obsession sustained her as her mind deteriorated. Or, her decline inspired beauty. That's something.
-Lauren Shooster