FOREWORD
Legendary Houston artist Bob Camblin, 1928-2010. Camblin studied painting at the Kansas City Art Institute, earning an M.F.A. in 1955. He taught at Rice University from 1967-73 with Joe Tate and Earl Staley, with whom he shared studio space. His influence was a constant undercurrent in the city’s art scene until he left in the early 80’s. Volatile and gregarious, Camblin saw himself as a vehicle for artistic inspiration, not always fully responsible for his highly personal, narrative polemic works. Wary of interpretation, he assumed multiple artistic personas, signing himself Anonymous Bosch, Red Stick the Pirate, and Mr. Peanut and is the only artist without a written statement featured in the seminal 1985 “Fresh Paint: The Houston School” catalog. Camblin is survived by his wife, Nancy Giordano. The 1970s found Camblin on even higher ground – in the prosperous and art savvy Houston. Here he discovered something remarkable – how to take art’s subjective, symbolic, and decorative functions and turn them into modern mysticism. Over the next decade, he put this philosophy to work, averaging over five exhibitions per year, from one-man and group shows, to gallery openings and museum exhibitions. In the summer of 1969, he and newly acquainted Rice University colleague and painter Earl Staley set up studios next door to each other and set in motion a pattern of working together that yielded rich results over the next four years. “Collaboration is a natural extension of Camblin’s artistic/human beliefs,” says Patricia C. Johnson of the Houston Chronicle, “His art tells of his physical world and his friends as much as his experiences, past or present. Camblin soon became involved with activities at the Moody Gallery and when William T. Wiley came to visit, he brought the concept of collaboration as a method of increasing opportunities for chance occurrences to open up new directions in one’s art. He and Staley began planning ‘events’: outings to the beach where groups of artists destroyed huge junk sculptures (1969, 1971, 1972); a tattoo show (1970) and document show (1971) at David Gallery; three exhibitions at the University of St. Thomas; countless collaborative drawings; and a three-story sculpture outside their studio entitled, ‘An Imaginary Scaffolding for the Renovation of the Statue of Liberty, to be Completed by the Bicentennial in 1776.’ The focus of these activities was on the process itself, and this point was central to their activity. The object was viewed as merely the by-product that engaged in artistic activity. In this regard, they resemble their Dada forefathers and the more anti-materialistic movements of the 1960s. Camblin liked the power of crude and primitive work and discovered a borderline in which it didn’t look superficial, artificial, or on the other hand, unresolved. He felt closer to his large eight-foot drawings than ever before, but the style of drawing never allowed nuances of the content to develop, as he had always wanted. The new drawings were so meticulous in detail that to jazz them up would destroy the whole. He seemed to be damned if he did and damned if he didn’t. He had the feeling that heavily relying on techniques was an easy way out and questioned the efficacy of them in general.
BIBLIOGRAPHY | CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF PUBLICATIONS
“62nd American Exhibition: Painting and Sculpture”, Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, 1957.
Time Magazine, “A Year Abroad”, October 6,1958, p. 69.
Lewis, Jo Ann Sukel, “Fulbright Painters”, Institute for International Education, New York, N.Y., 1958.
“150 Objects Picked Here for Governor’s Show”, Sarasota Herald-Tribune, January 8,1960.
Solomon, Elke M., “American Drawings 1963-1973”, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, N.Y., 1973.
Halliday, Bob, “U. Instructor to Exhibit New Work, Cites Artists Role to Effect Change”, The Salt Lake Tribune, November 20,1966, p. 18W.
“Metamorphosis”, The Oklahoma Daily, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, February 10,1967, p. 14.
“Eighteenth Southwestern Print and Drawing Exhibition”, Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, Dallas, Texas, Oct. 29,1969, press release.
Butterfield, Jan, “Dallas Galleries Feature Art of Talented Young Artists”, Fort Worth Star Telegram, November 12,1970, p. 6G. “Drawings in America”, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, 1970
“The Highway Show”, Rice Gallery, Rice University, Houston, Texas, 1970.
“Texas”, Arts, Summer (Ete), 1971, pp. 49-50.
Holmes, Ann, “Where It’s At [If You Can Find It)”, The Art Gallery, May 20,1970, p. 37.
Freed, Eleanor, “Documenta”, Houston Post, Art Section, Art Section, February 21,1971, p. 28.
Kutner, Janet, “Variety Exhibited by Camblin and David”, Dallas Morning News, April 13,1971.
“The Other Coast (10 Texas Artists)”, University of California, Long Beach, California, 1971.
Lunn, Judy, “Prowling Artists – Right in Your Backyard”, Houston Post, July 21,1972, p. IB.
“The Last Garage Sale May Not Be”, Houston Chronicle, Section 4, September 26.1972, p. 4.
Freed, Eleanor, “Texans, Titled and Subtitled”, Houston Post, October 29,1972, p. IB.
“Oklahoma Acorns a Fair Trade”, Houston Chronicle, Section 7, December 13,1972, p. 3.
Freed, Eleanor, “Montrose Bateau Lavoir”, Houston Post “Spotlight”, January 7,1973, p. 34.
Butler, Susan L., “So You Want To Be an Artist”, Houston Chronicle, January 28,1973.
Doty, Robert, “EXTRAORDINARY REALITIES”, Whitney Museum of American Art, 1973, p. 62.
Hopkins, Henry, “Contemporary Art in Texas: On the Road to Maturity”, Art News, May 1973.
Butler, Susan L., Art Circles, “Private Works”, The Houston Chronicle, Sept.1973.
Solomon, Elke M., “American Drawings: 1963-1973”, 1973.
Ratcliff, Carter, “Hand Colored Prints”, Brooke Alexander Gallery, New York, New Yor November 1973. P. 9.
Hoffman, Nancy, “Drawings”, Nancy Hoffman Gallery, New York, New York, May 1974.
Poster, Program Cover (front & last page) and Artist information for ‘Der Rosenkavalier for the Houston Grand Opera, January 1975, pp. front & back cover, 40 & 43.
Moser, Charlotte, “Master Printmaking in Houston”, Houston Chronicle, May 31,1975.
Moser, Charlotte, “THE ART BOOM”, Houston Chronicle, July 20,1975, p. 9.
Glauber, Robert H., “THE CLASSIC REVIVAL”, Illinois Bell Telephone, Lobby Gallery, Chicago, Illinois, (traveled to 8 museums and galleries), September 1975.
Dianne David interview by Louis J Marchiafava, Archive # 0H036, The Houston Metropolitan Research Center, Oral History Project Interviews, October 2,1975.
Fuller, Mary, “Marcel Duchamp Lives: One View of the Texas Art World”, Currant, October – November 1975, p. 18.
Butler, Susan L., “Art Circles”, Houston Chronicle, Houston, Texas, January, 1976.
Moser, Charlotte, “Between Fantasy and Surrealism”, Art News, April 1976, p. 66.
Moser, Charlotte, “Box is Both Form, Content of Developing Art”, Houston Chronicle, July 7,1976.
Smith, Roberta, “Twelve Days of Texas”, Art In America, July/August 1976, p. 46.
“The Collection of the Junior Service League of Longview”, The Collection, Longview, Texas, Ca.1976, Pp. 32 & 36.
Crossley, Mimi, “Little Egypt rolls on”, Houston Post, June 26,1977.
Crossley, Mimi, “Gallery Roundup – Bob Camblin: Paintings and Watercolors”, Houston Post, November 25,1977.
Moser, Charlotte, “Camblin’s New Work Sparks Moody Show”, Houston Chronicle, August 19,1977.
“Camblin Paintings Merge Magic and Metaphysics”, Houston Chronicle, November 18,1977, p. 24.
Surls, James, “Fire! An Exhibition of 100 Texas Artists,” Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston, Texas, February 1979, p. 24.
Sween, Trudy, “Doors: Houston Artists,” The Houston Festival, The Alley Theatre, Houston, Texas, 1979, pp. 13-14.
“Doors Open Aesthetic Vistas at the Alley”, Houston Chronicle. March 18,1979, p. 17.
Moser, Charlotte, “Art Celebrates Mexican ‘Day of the Dead’ Festival”, Houston Chronicle, April 7,1979, Sec. 3, p. 9.
Dunham, Judith, “Texas Overview”, Artweek, April 21,1979, p. 4.
Olpin, Robert S., “Dictionary of Utah Art”, Salt Lake Art Center. 1980, p. 30.
Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Art, “440 Slides of Bob Camblin and his Work”, New York, New York, 1979.
Curtis, Sandra, “Texas Project”, Archives of American Art Journal, Smithsonian Institution, January 20,1980, p. 31.
“Recent Works by Artists of the Southwest”, Gensler and Associates/Architects, Houston, Texas, 1980.
Moser, Charlotte, “Playing Cowboys and Artists in Houston”, Art News, December 1980, pp. 124-128.
“1981 Houston Arts Calendar”, Wordworks, Inc, Houston, Texas, 1981, pp. 7-8.
Johnson, Patricia, “The Image of the House Through Artists’ Eyes”, Houston Chronicle, November 15, 1981, pp. 18-27; 47-49.
Freed, Eleanor, “Treasures of the Finding”, Houston Arts Magazine, Society for the Performing Arts, September 1982, pp. 16-24.
Krantz, Les, “The Texas Art Review”, ‘Moody Gallery’, Gulf Publishing in conjunction with The Krantz Company Publishers, Inc., Houston, Texas, 1982, p. 175.
Johnson, Patricia, “Print Show Lights Up Some of City’s Masters in Field”, Houston Chronicle, October 14,1982, p. 24.
Goetzmann/Reese,”Texas Images & Visions”, Archer M. Huntington Gallery, University of Texas at Austin, Texas, 1983, pp 44 & 128.
Johnson, Patricia, “Camblin’s Personal Artwork Explored”, Houston Chronicle, March 23,1984. Sec. 5, p. 9.
Rose, Barbara & Kalil, Susie, “Fresh Paint: The Houston School”, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, 1984.
Larsen, Kay, “Art”, New York Magazine, June 17,1985, p. 64.
“Texas Visions”, Art League of Houston, Texas, 1985.
“Texas – A State of Mind”, Archer M Huntington Art Gallery, University of Texas, Austin, Texas.
Landay, Janet, “Collaborators: Artists Working Together In Houston 1969 -1986”, The Glassell School of Art, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, September, 1986, Introduction + Plates 3,4, 5.
“Glassell exhibit calls to mind ‘the good old days’ of art”, The Houston Post, September 28, 1986, p.3F.
Kalil, Susie, “The Texas Landscape, 1900 – 1986″, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, May 17 – September 7, 1986, pp. 47 & 91.
Carlozzi, Annette,”50 Texas Artists. A Critical Selection of Painters and Sculptors Working in Texas”, Chronicle Books, San Francisco, California, 1986, pp. 28-29.
“Bob Camblin”, Art, Seven One Three, Houston, Texas, 1988.
Falk, Peter H. [Editor), “Annual Exhibition Record of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, 1913-1968”, Sound View Press, Madison, Connecticut, 1989.
Fisher, James L., “Forty Texas Printmakers”, Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, 1990, p. 6, 30, 31,105,106.
“1983-1993, DiverseWorks Artspace, The First Ten Years”, “Found,” Diverse Works, Houston, Texas, Exhibition: 1987, Published by DiverseWorks Artspace, Inc., Houston, Texas, 1993.
Falk, Peter Hastings [Editor), “Annual Exhibition Record, 1914-1968”, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, 1999.
Dunbier, Lonnie Pierson [Editor), “The Artists’ Bluebook”, AskArt.com, 2005.
Stout, Richard, “Modernism in Houston Art: 1950-1970, Part 7”, YouTube series done for Houston Modern Market Week Exhibition at the William Reaves Fine Art Gallery, Houston, Texas, April 28, 2012.
Glentzer, Molly, “Penny Cerling: A life of needles & pins”, The Houston Chronicle, June 26, 2013.
Rice University, “Allen Center Open House, Nov. 1967”, Rice History Corner from the Rice Archives [Sandy Havens’ letter), June 24, 2013.