The Goodson Collection is a group in Dallas, Texas on a mission to bring the previously undiscovered works of late artist Robert Goodson to the mainstream.
Great art is rarely mainstream, at least not at its inception. Great art breaks new ground. That’s what we mean when we call our artists “visionary.” They see things that one else can and then present their interpretations to the world. Sometimes the public catches on right away and elevates those visionaries to icons while they are still alive and creating. In those cases; from Pablo Picasso to The Beatles, our visionaries create a new mainstream.
Unfortunately, those are the exceptions. Most great art is never seen and never heard. The sad reality is, throughout human history the vast majority of visionaries lived and died without the mainstream ever knowing they existed at all. In some rare cases their work is discovered and revered after they have already passed. Although artists like Van Gogh, Henri Rousseau and Robert Johnson died in relative obscurity, their work will live on forever. A group in Dallas, Texas hopes to realize the same fate for the work of the late Robert Goodson.
Not a lot is known about Robert Goodson. He grew up in a middle class family in Oklahoma. He began his art career at a young age but his ambitions were interrupted by WWII and he was drafted into service. After coming home from the war he was diagnosed with schizophrenia. From that point forward he made art his life’s work. He worked professionally as a comic illustrator for a time, though the bulk of his private collection of original pieces was very much of and inspired by the psychedelic movement of the 1960’s and 70’s.
Goodson did not enjoy success in his lifetime. However, that did not stop him from creating a sizable catalog of work. For many years after his passing the collection lay dormant in a garage collecting dust. Recently it was discovered and rescued from destruction. For the first time in decades, Goodson’s artwork was seen by human eyes. His new unwitting patrons formed “The Goodson Collection” to share his art with the masses.
His Journals and Art invited us inside his mind showing all levels of the human condition from Paranoia and PTSD to his adoration for his girlfriend Susan, and his love for the Psychedelic movement of the 1960’s and 70’s.
The Goodson Collection
Robert Goodson’s illustrations are the work of a gifted and troubled artist. They depict surreal scenes of Sci-Fi, fantasy, love, sex and confusion. His art ranges from the dark and disturbed to happy and colorful. It is the work of a visionary who lived and died in obscurity. With the same creative spirit that drives the thousands of independent musicians you will find on the pages of this blog, he created his art because he had to. There was something inside he needed to get out. He wanted to share his visions with the mainstream. Now, all these years later ‘The Goodson Collection’ hopes to help fulfill that dream.
Follow the links below to connect with The Goodson Collection. Peruse the gallery and follow the group on social media. Don’t hesitate to reach out for inquiry on purchasing Goodson originals or to have the Goodson Collection premiere at your art gallery.
Connect with The Goodson Collection
