Southwestern Historical Quarterly

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.