Martin Ramirez at Nielsen

Martin Ramirez (1895-1963) spent the last 15 years of his life confined in a California state hospital as a schizophrenic. But folks like The New York Times have come to consider him “one of the greatest artists of the 20th century” for the obsessive drawings he made there of trains and tunnels, caballeros and wild critters. They’re a cockeyed blend of Art Deco and de Chirico, energized by Ramirez’s signature stripes pulsing like neon lights on a theater marquee. Through May 2, Nielsen Gallery at 179 Newbury St. in Boston presents “Martin Ramirez: At the Center, In the Eye,” a rare local show of eight of his drawings. I've put together a slideshow of the artworks here.