THE BEAUTY OF OLD an oxymoron in today’s world, began as Helen Redman’s attempt to widen the lens through which women’s aging was viewed. As she observes, appreciates and acknowledges the authentic beauty of real old women, she finds mentors for her own aging  process. Now an ongoing traveling exhibition, The Beauty of Old honors the rich complexity of all mature life forms.
 
 
Using conte crayon, prismacolor, and graphite as her media, The Beauty of Old returns Helen Redman to her beginnings in life drawing. Boldly inviting her subjects to choose colors, symbols, and even write words or poems onto their portraits, Redman fosters possibilities for collaborative creation. While each portrait stands alone as a unique character study, when mounted as an installation the viewer feels surrounded by a community of elders.

The Beauty of Old breaks the chain that links youth and sexual ripeness to beauty. In a society mortified by aging, Helen Redman’s portraits pulls us into conversation with a stunning, diverse and colorful array of old women.