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© Royal Robertson/Photo, Ginger Young

The art of being mad. The artist’s former wife, Adell Brent, is castigated as a “whorish spirit” to be cast in “flying fire” at the top of Robertson’s piece entitled Revenge. Robertson typically began each work with an image from a dream or a vision—such as a futuristic city, a super hero, or a spaceship—and surrounded it with interwoven dates, names, dialogue bubbles, biblical references, warnings, prophesies and notes to himself. Together, the words and images submerge the viewer in a swirling diatribe of apocalypse and judgment. They proclaim that the world is full of sinners and conspirators and that all will be judged.