User:Robbilyeu/Bob Bilyeu Camblin

Bob Bilyeu Camblin (August 1, 1928 - December 4, 2010) was an American artist who came to prominence in the 1970’s as he transitioned from abstract impressionism to an entirely new style which he labeled Mouches Volantes, representing an extension of the Dada and Surrealist techniques.

Biography

Camblin was born in Ponca City, Oklahoma the son of Don and Viva Camblin. He received a M.F.A degree from the Kansas City Art Institute in 1955 and in the same year was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to Italy. Two years later the Fulbright pieces were shown at the Chicage Art Institute’s 62nd American Paintings & Sculpture Exhibit; and in the Fulbright Artists Exhibition in Rome, Italy; and in an Exhibition of Self-Portraits in Milan, Italy; as well as in the American Federation of Artists Traveling Show.

From 1958 to 1967 Camblin could have been found teaching at The Ringling School of Art, The University of Illinois, The University of Detroit, and The University of Utah.

From 1969 to 1984; [from an introduction by Janet Landay] in the summer of 1969, Camblin and 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.” They 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.

“Camblin 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.”

Of all painters working in Houston, Camblin was the one most committed to collaboration as a means to submerge the individual ego. Camblin believed collaboration allows for creative possibilities and newways of seeing things. These beliefs relate to Camblin’s interest in Zen Buddhism and they have prompted him to take the extreme step of withdrawing his name from most of his artworks. By 1975 he was signing his work “Anonymous Box Co” and by 1976 that was shortened to “Anonymous Artists.” The main exception is his small-scale watercolors which, because of their immediacy and intimate nature, he signs with his own name.

Don Quaintance captures this point in time when they met in Houston: “I’ll never forget the extraordinary moment, ca. 1980 I think, when Camblin took most of his artworks to the David Gallery, set up shop for a day, and bartered away his output with all comers. In exchange for one of his artworks he asked for something of significance to the individual making the offer. The gesture announced in a profound way his distaste for commercial aspects of being an artist while demonstrating his personal engagement with his audience.

“In 1980 Camblin began collaborating on a continuing basis with Nancy Giordano. As “Anonymous Artists” they have created several series of works. Their first, Rock’n’Roll Palm Trees, exemplifies their working process. In order to downplay individual styles the two artists agreed to limit brush strokes to dots and dashes. Here was the birth of Mouches Volantes, which roughly translates from French into “flying flies” and represents the dots and dashes from collaborators’ paint brushes.”

Mouches Volantes was to become a painting style and an illusory discipline that allowed collaborators to interact with a painting or drawing in such a way as to see familiar, simple objects and even create whole images from elements in the painting that don’t even exist. Camlin’s artwork uses deliberate perceptual organization to create meaning out of what appears to be random brushstroke-stimuli. The viewer weaves together a jig-saw-puzzle-explanation based on their historical optical experiences – essentially formulating that which doesn’t exist to that which does.

Other artists that have worked with optical illusions include M. C. Escher, Bridget Riley, Salvador Dalí, Giuseppe Arcimboldo, Marcel Duchamp, Oscar Reutersvärd, Victor Vasarely and Charles Allan Gilbert. Also some contemporary artists are experimenting with illusions, including: Octavio Ocampo, Dick Termes, Shigeo Fukuda, Patrick Hughes (artist), István Orosz, Rob Gonsalves, Gianni A. Sarcone and Akiyoshi Kitaoka.

Camblin’s illusory discipline explains many illusions including this walking/face illusion where the image as a whole switches from being a portrait to one of motion, including walking, swinging, and grasping.

Camblin’s painting Vanitas is a tribute to the Oaxaca festival Day of the Dead. The central image in this piece is the skull representing the excesses of life in anticipation of death. Camblin has executed this mysterious, impressionistic painting with pastel frills and exorbitant detail of romantic waterways in Venice suggesting personal excesses. Drawn curtains painted onto canvas convey theatrical dreaminess, sepia tones suggest antiquity, and a magical watercolor technique reflects matchless skill.

In the Las Meninas Series, which nods to Velasquez, formerly attired women are posed in a quasi-landscape space also inhabited by sinister looking figures, hazily discernable forms or, in one work, the figure of the artist. Camblin interweaves drawing and watercolor into rich, illusionistic, deep surfaces that hint at presences beyond definite perception.

At the close of the 1980s, and free from the commercial constraints of signing his own name to artwork and gallery representation, he immersed himself in his vision of art. He took working trips to Paris, Hawaii, and the Pacific Islands creating an even broader series of paintings, watercolors, and pen/ink drawings he called “drawritings”. For the new millennium Camblin moved from a beach house on the Pacific Coast to a historic (ca.1800s I believe) Mississippi riverboat-house in Algiers, Louisiana, before finally settling in LaPlace, Louisiana and continued painting with his wife Nancy Giordano until he passed on December 4, 2010.

Bibliography

• Butterfield, Jan “Dallas Galleries Feature Art of Talented Young Artists” Fort Worth Star Telegram 12 November, 1970.
• “Texas” Arts, Et’e 1971, pp.49-50.
• Ann Holmes. “Where It’s At (If You Can Find It)”. The Art Gallery. May 20, 1979. p.37.
• Freed, Eleanor. “Stark Realism Dramatization of a Hitch-hiker” Houston Post, 21 fevrier 1971, p.28.
• Kutner, Janet. “Variety Exhibited by Camblin and David”. Dallas Morning News. April 13, 1971, p 10E.
• Freed, Eleanor. “Texans, Titled and Subtitled”. Houston Post. October 29, 1972, p.1B.
• Lunn, Judy. “Prowling Artists – Right in Your Backyard”. Houston Post. July 21, 1972, p.1B.
• Freed, Eleanor. “Montrose Bateau Lavoir”. Houston Post. January 7, 1973, “Spotlight”, p. 34.
• Hopkins, Henry. “Contemporary Art in Texas: On the Road to Maturity”. Art News, May 1973, p. 43.
• Fuller, Mary. “Marcel Duchamp Lives: One View of the Texas Art World”. Currant, October – November 1975, p. 18.
• Fuller, Mary. “Marcel Duchamp Lives: One View of the Texas Art World”. Currant, October – November 1975,p18
• Art in America. Original Lithograph by Bob Camblin.
• Moser, Charlotte. “Between Fantasy and Surrealism.” Art News. April 1976, p. 66.
• “Box is Both Form, content of Developing Art”. Houston Chronicle.July 7, 1976.
• 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.
• Dunham, Judith. “Texas Overview”. Artweek. April 21, 1979, p.4.
• Moser, Charlotte. “Art Celebrates Mexican ‘Day of the Dead’ Festival”. Houston Chronicle. April 7, 1979, Sec. 3, p. 9.
• “Doors Open Aesthetic Vistas at the Alley”. Houston Chronicle. March 18, p. 17.
• Curtis, Sandra. “Texas Project”. Archives of American Art Journal. January 20, 1980, p. 31.
• Moser, Charlotte. “Playing Cowboys and Artists in Houston”. Art News. December 1980, pp. 124-128
• 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. September 1982, pp. 16-24.
• Johnson, Patricia. “Print Show Lights Up Some of City’s Masters in Field”. Houston Chronicle. October 14, 1982, p. 24.
• “Camblin’s Personal Artwork Explored”. Houston Chronicle. March 23, 1984. Sec. 5, p. 9.
• Carlozzi, Annette. Fifty Texas Artists. A Critical Selection of Painters and Sculptors.
• “Texas Visions: A Celebration of Texas Artists”. Museum of Art of the American West. December 6, 1985.
• “Texas – A State of Mind”, Archer M Huntington Art Gallery, Austin, Texas.

Personal Expositions

• 1955   Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, Missouri.
• 1956   Cottey College, Nevada, Missouri.
• 1957   Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, Missouri.
• 1960   St. Armand’s Gallery, Sarasota, Florida.

Southwestern College, Winfield, Kansas.

Kansas City Art Institute

• 1961   Oklahoma State University, Stillwater.
• 1962   University of Wisconsin, Madison.
• 1965   University of Utah, Salt Lake City.

Windsor College, Windsor, Ontario, Canada.

Plumtree Gallery, Salt Lake City, Utah.

• 1966   Baker University, Baldwin City, Kansas.

Plumtree Gallery, Salt Lake City, Utah.

• 1967   Rice University, Houston.

University of Oklahoma, Norman.

• 1968   Rice University, Houston.
• 1969   David Gallery, Houston.

University of Wisconsin.

• 1970   David Gallery, Houston.
• 1975   Cusack Gallery, Houston.

Louisiana Gallery, Houston.

Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge.

• 1976   Baker University, Baldwin City, Kansas.

Covo de Lough Gallery, Houston.

Louisiana Gallery, Houston.

Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge.

• 1977   Moody Gallery, Houston.
• 1978   Projects Gallery, Art Museum of South Texas, Corpus Christi.
• 1979   “Vanitas”, Moody Gallery, Houston.
• 1984   “Bob Camblin Houston Retrospective”. Midtown Art Center, Houston.

Group Expositions

• 1957   “Fulbright Artists’ Exhibition”, Schneider Gallery, Rome.

“62nd Annual American Painting and Sculpture Show, Chicago Art Institute.

“Exhibition of Self-Portraits", Milan, Italy.

American Federation of Artists’ International Traveling Show of Students’ Work.

• 1958   “Childe Hassam Purchase Fund Show”, American Academy of Arts and Letters, New York City.

“Collectors Market Exhibit”, Nelson Gallery of Art, Kansas City.

Provincetown Art Festival, Provincetown, Massachusetts.

“ART: USA 58”, New York, New York.

Provincetown Art Festival, Provincetown, Massachusetts.

“10th Anniversary Traveling Show of Fulbright Painters”.

• 1959   “Five Artists”, St. Armand’s Gallery, Sarasota, Florida.

“Two Fulbright Artists”, Sarasota Art Association, Sarasota, Florida.

• 1960   “Governor’s All-Florida Show”, John and Mable Ringling.

“Museum of Art, Sarasota, Florida.

• 1963   St Armand’s Gallery, Sarasota, Florida.
• 1964   St Armand’s Gallery, Sarasota, Florida.
• 1966   St Armand’s Gallery, Sarasota, Florida.
• 1967   “Beaumont Annual”, Beaumont, Texas.

“Dickinson State College Exhibition”, Dickinson, North Dakota.

Nelson Gallery of Art, Kansas City, Missouri.

Norfolk Museum of Art, Norfolk, Virginia.

“Southwest Print & Drawing Exhibition”, Dallas Museum of Art.

University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas,Texas

University of Wisconsin, Madison.

• 1968   Nelson Gallery of Art, Kansas City, Missouri.

“American Drawings 1968”. January 1968. Moore College of Art. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

• 1969   University of Wisconsin, Madison.
• 1970   “Drawings in America”, Museum of Fine Arts. Houston (catalogue).

“St. Paul Annual Drawing Show”, St. Paul, Minnesota.

“The Highway Show”, Rice University, Houston (catalogue).

“Drawings From Nine States”, A Regional Exhibition. Museum of Fine Arts. Houston.

• 1971   “The Other Coast”, California State College, Long Beach (catalogue).

“Project South/Southwest”, Fort Worth art Center.

“Tarrant County Annual”, Fort Worth Art Center.

“Texas Sculpture and Painting Annual”, Dallas Museum of Art.

“Two-Man Exhibition”, Cranfill Gallery, Dallas.

“Drawings USA”, Minnesota Museum of Art. St.Paul.

“3rd Biennial National Exhibition of Prints and Drawings”, Dickinson State College, March 1971, North Dakota.

• 1972   “Construction-Deconstruction Events 1 & 2”, B & E Productions. Galveston, Texas.

“Southern Illinois University Art Museum”, Carbondale.

“Tattoo Show” B & E Productions, David Gallery, Houston.

• 1973   “Extraordinary Realities”, Whitney Museum of Art, New York City.

Main Street Art Festival, Houston.

“Camping Show”, St. Thomas University, Houston, Texas.

• 1974   Nancy Hoffman, New York City.

Cusack Gallery, Houston.

• 1975   “The Classic Revival”, Illinois Bell telephone, Chicago, traveling exhibition.

“Hand-Colored Prints”, Brooke Alexander, Inc., New York City, traveling exhibition.

Louisiana Gallery, Houston.

“1975 Houston Area Exhibition”, The Sarah Campbell Blaffer Gallery, University of Houston.

“Nineteenth National Print Exhibition”, The Brooklyn Museum, January 5, 1975.

• 1976   “Contempory Images in Watercolor”, Akron Art Institute, Akron, Ohio, traveling exhibition.

“Houston Area Exhibition”, Sarah Campbell Blaffer Gallery, University of Houston.

Louisiana Gallery, Houston.

Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas

• 1977   “Attebury, Camblin and Stetty”, Moody Gallery, Houston.

“Houston Area Exhibition”, Sarah Campbell Blaffer Gallery, University of Houston (catalogue).

“Moody Gallery Artists”, Waco Art Center, Waco, Texas.

• 1978   “The Art of Texas”, University of Chicago.

“Spirit of Texas”, Kohler Arts Center, Sheboygan, Wisconsin.

• 1979   “Doors”, Alley Theatre / Houston Festival, Houston (catalogue).

“Fire”, Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston (catalogue).

“Five Artists From Texas”, George Belcher Gallery, San Fransisco.

“Twenty-First Annual Invitational Operation Update – 1979”, Longview Museum and Arts Center, Longview, Texas.

“Works on Paper”, Victoria Regional Museum association, Victoria, Texas.

• 1980   “Contemporary Drawings and Watercolors”, Memorial art Gallery, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York.

“David McManaway Works – Twenty Years”, University Gallery, Meadows School of the Arts, Southern Methodist University, Dallas.

“Inside Texas Borders”, Corpus Christi State University, Corpus Christi, Texas.

“Recent Works by Artists of the Southwest”, Gensler and Associates/Architects, Houston (catalogue).

• 1981   “Collection ’81 – The Road Show”, Two Houston Center.

“The Image of the House in Contemporary Art”, Lawndale Annex of the University of Houston.

“Little Egypt – Waterworkshop”, Roberto Molina Gallery, Houston.

“Moody Gallery Exhibition”, Linda Durham Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico.

• 1982   “Art From Houston in Norway”, Stavanger Kunstforening, Stavanger,Norway (catalogue).
• 1984   “Fresh Paint”, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
• 1985   “Self-Images”, Midtown Art Center, Houston.

“Propaganda!”, Midtown Art Center, Houston.

“Houston Drawing”, Glassel School of Art (MFA), Houston.

“The New Nude”, Midtown Arts Center, Houston.

• 1986   “Texas Visions”, The Museum of the American west, Houston.

“Texas Landscapes: 1900-1986”, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

“Collaborators: Artists Working Together in Houston 1969-1986”, The Glassell School Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas.

• 1987   “Cinq x Cinq: Houston – Paris”, Galerie Dario Boccara Paris, France Exposition organize par Stedman / Hubbard International Inc.

External links

• camblin.com
• youtube.com