(circa 1915 - 1995)
Commentary about Robert Gilkerson from artist and friend Mark Bulwinkle:
"Let me think about that (when Gilkerson passed). Hmmm. He was living in the Sierra foothills when I last visited him. With a nephew. He lived in a small shack or garage type thing away from the house. I went by to see him simply because I knew where he lived and was in the area. He was placing some work in the road, a dirt road, and the county was giving him some trouble about that. He seemed pretty beaten, said to me “I am 80 now, so…” I understood. We exchanged little talk, as usual for him, and for me. So, I was with Marcia Donahue, at that time, and maybe that was 1994, maybe 93. I think he died soon after that, maybe 95, of what I don’t know. Maybe for him, it was just time to die. That can happen. Funny, life and time starts to become a blur. Whens don’t seem to matter much. ... Death, it is just another life experience. Other than that, I have remained very busy both here and down in the desert. My place down there has become a huge strange garden which I choose to share with nobody but the varmints and the tourists passing by and gawking. I try to make at least one large painting/drawing when I am there and have accumulated 20 or 30 of these things... Isn’t it strange, about Robert. I still consider his work thrilling and American/Miraculous. And he has disappeared!”