“Prophet” Royal Robertson (1936-1997) Dream sleep I turn from pass life Felt pen and pen on paper recto/verso, signed bottom center recto, top center verso 71 x 56 cm "Prophet" Royal Robertson, a Louisiana artist, began his career as a sign painter and working in the fields. He married Adell, with whom he had eleven children. However, his family life disintegrated as a result of his paranoid schizophrenia. In his solitude, Royal Robertson perceives the world as hostile, fueling an intense creative fever. A kind of prophet without a disciple, he draws his inspiration from imaginary journeys. His creations include portraits of deities and futuristic architecture from another planet. His work is a hysterical pop gospel. He died in 1997, five years after Hurricane Andrew destroyed his home, which was strewn with his art and warnings. Today, his works are held in prestigious collections such as the Smithsonian Museum of American Art in the United States and the Centre Pompidou in France. (MLD)