Reviewed by:

• Bob Bilyeu Camblin: An Iconoclast in Houston's Emerging Art Scene by Sandra Jensen Rowland
• Caleb Bell

Written by art historian Sandra Jensen Rowland, this monograph chronicling the life and art of the late Houston artist Bob Camblin offers readers a true insider's look into a complex individual's world. Rowland, a former student of Camblin's as well as his one-time companion, provides an intimate account of much of his life while also discussing the evolution of his art and placing it within larger artistic movements.

Laid out chronologically, the twenty-one-chapter biography opens with the artist's upbringing in Ponca City, Oklahoma. Despite touching on his hometown community, its influential individuals, and various related occurrences, however, personal details about Camblin's rearing are somewhat lacking. But Rowland does a good job of discussing major international events and their impact on him, a shining hallmark found throughout the book. The Great Depression and World War II establish the framework for Camblin's trajectory.

The real look into his life begins in 1947, when the artist joined the army. His military service, enrollment at the Kansas City Art Institute, a Fulbright-sponsored year in Italy, and introduction to academia at the Universities of Illinois and Utah preceded his move to Texas in the 1960s, a significant event in his life and career. Camblin accepted a position with [End Page 478] the art department at Rice University in Houston and joined artists John O'Neil, David G. Parsons, and Earl Staley. His connection to Staley was almost instant. Even though they only worked together at Rice for a year, Camblin remained in Houston through the 1980s, and the two remained longtime collaborators, forming B&E Productions, B, E & J Productions, and the Holding Firm. Their relationship is well documented, and Rowland includes Staley's insightful words about Camblin in the book's epilogue. It was also during Camblin's stint at Rice University that he and Rowland, a student at the time, first met. She describes her firsthand experiences with the artist, including the end of their relationship, offering readers information only she could.

Mentored herself by Dominque de Menil during the 1970s, Rowland expands readers' view of the Houston art scene at the time and aptly describes Camblin's position in it. The book also offers insights into his relationships with various Texas artists and key players as well pivotal exhibitions. It discusses in some depth his connection to Penny Cerling and Dave Folkman of Little Egypt Enterprises, the now-defunct printmaking studio.

The inclusion of a thorough timeline provides a succinct overview of Camblin's major exhibitions and life events. The author's notes are a great resource as well, offering interested readers even more details and facts. While the book could benefit from more imbedded images or an additional appendix of artworks, those provided do a good job of illustrating the narrative and providing a sense of Camblin's artistic evolution. The image selection, much like Rowland's text, offers a nice balance between his art and personal life. Her writing style is accessible and guides one through Camblin's story, including his cast of alter egos, with ease. Overall, the book serves as a detailed account of the life and times of Bob Bilyeu Camblin, an iconoclast, as the book's title says, in Houston's emerging art scene.

审核人：

• Bob Bilyeu Camblin：桑德拉·詹森·罗兰德（Sandra Jensen Rowland）的休斯顿新兴艺术场景中的偶像破坏者
• 迦勒·贝尔（Caleb Bell）

这本由艺术史学家桑德拉·詹森·罗兰（Sandra Jensen Rowland）撰写的专着，记载了已故休斯顿艺术家鲍勃·坎布林（Bob Camblin）的生活和艺术，为读者提供了一个复杂的人的世界的真实内幕视野。罗兰（Rowland）曾是坎布林（Camblin）的学生，也是他的一次同伴。他对自己的一生作了详尽的介绍，同时还讨论了他艺术的发展并将其纳入更大的艺术运动中。

按时间顺序排列，这本二十一章的传记以画家在俄克拉荷马州庞卡城的成长经历为开篇。尽管接触了他的家乡社区，其有影响力的个人以及各种相关事件，但是，仍然缺少关于坎布林抚养的个人详细信息。但是罗兰德（Rowland）在讨论重大国际事件及其对他的影响方面做得很好，这是整本书中发现的一个鲜明的标志。大萧条和第二次世界大战为坎布林的发展轨迹奠定了基础。

1947年画家参军后，他的生活才真正开始崭露头角。他的服兵役，在堪萨斯城艺术学院的就读，在意大利由富布赖特（Fulbright）赞助的一年以及在伊利诺伊州和犹他州的大学引入学术界，都在他于1960年代移居德克萨斯之前，这是他一生和事业中的重要事件。坎布林接受[End Page 478]的职位休斯敦莱斯大学的艺术系，并加入了艺术家约翰·奥尼尔，大卫·帕森斯和伯爵·斯坦利。他与Staley的联系几乎是即时的。即使他们只是在赖斯一起工作了一年，坎布林还是在1980年代留在了休斯敦，两人仍然是长期的合作者，成立了B＆E Productions，B，E＆J Productions和Holding Firm。他们的关系有据可查，Rowland在书的结尾中包括了Staley关于Camblin的有见地的话。也是在坎布林在莱斯大学任职期间，他和当时的学生罗兰德第一次见面。她描述了自己与这位艺术家的亲身经历，包括双方关系的终结，仅向读者提供她所能提供的信息。

罗兰（Dominque de Menil）在1970年代指导自己，罗兰（Rowland）扩展了读者当时对休斯顿艺术界的看法，并恰当地描述了坎布林在其中的地位。该书还提供了对他与得克萨斯州各艺术家和关键人物的关系以及重要展览的见解。书中更深入地讨论了他与现已关闭的版画工作室小埃及企业Penny Cerling和Dave Folkman的关系。

完整的时间表包括对坎布林的主要展览和生活事件的简要概述。作者的注释也是一个很好的资源，它为感兴趣的读者提供了更多的细节和事实。尽管这本书可以从更多嵌入的图像或附加的艺术品附录中受益，但所提供的插图可以很好地说明叙述方式，并提供Camblin的艺术发展感。图像选择与罗兰（Rowland）的文字很像，在他的艺术和个人生活之间取得了很好的平衡。她的写作风格通俗易懂，可以轻松地指导坎布林的故事，包括他的自传。总体而言，这本书详细描述了在书名中提到的偶像破坏者Bob Bilyeu Camblin在休斯顿新兴艺术界的生活和时代。