Royal Robertson

Art Brokerage: American artist, Royal Robertson (21 October 1936 – 5 July 1997), also known as the self-proclaimed Prophet Royal Robertson, was born in St. Helena Parish, Louisiana, on 21 October 1936. Except for a few years spent traveling in the west, Royal Robertson lived his entire life in Louisiana . A former field hand and sign painter, Robertson said that he was "born drawing." In 1955, he married Adell Brent and fathered eleven children with her. When abandoned by Adell after twenty years of marriage, Robertson descended into an uneasy existence, scorned by his neighbors and overcome by misogynistic rage. Armed with magic markers, paints, colored pencils and ball point pens, Robertson immersed himself in creating a fantasy world depicted on poster board, responding to God's command that he condemn the evil ways of women. Each drawing is a window into the tormented world of the self-proclaimed "Prophet" Royal Robertson. Bible verses and religious references mix with futuristic visionary images in highly eccentric, provocative works chronicling his paranoia and unsettled mental state. His themes include images of aliens and spaceships, architectural drawings of dream houses and temples in futuristic cities, superhero figures, and portraits of Adelle and other Amazon women. Robertson embellishes the colorful drawings with rambling, ranting texts, sometimes in cartoon-like balloons, that leave no doubt about the judgment reserved for adulterous whores and unfaithful spouses. Many of these works include calendars chronicling agonizing memories of his unfaithful wife and their spoiled marriage in brief journal notations scribbled in each date's block. Robertson's preoccupation with numerology and biblical prophecies of earth's final days as found in the book of Revelation are also evident. Robertson created an extraordinary environment within his modest home in Baldwin, Louisiana. On the exterior, painted signs warned "whores" and "bastards" to stay away. The interior of his home was densely crowded with his drawings pinned to every available wall. In August 1992, the home was completely destroyed by Hurricane Andrew. With the help of two collectors who helped him file papers with the federal government, he recovered from his losses. In 1997, Royal Robertson died suddenly, just as he was finally reconciling his relationship with two of his children. Listings Wanted.