Family Portrait

In 1974, this renowned artist's artist, packedand sealed with rope and wax, a dynamitecrate of Atlas Powder's. The top carved:All Fool's Day1974 closedOpen 2000Was it his intent the crate not be openeduntil his death? Perhaps. It remainedunopened for forty years, contents unknown.Wrapped in fishing nets, protected byhooks and anchors was artistic gold - hissketchbooks from 1956-1974.Widely known, controversial, iconoclasticand often imitated by those in his sphere,little is known of his immense body of work.Literally thousands of oils, acrylics,watercolors, drawings, prints, and paintedpaper are scattered to the four corners - yetnone can be found for sale. The rare instant aCamblin shows up on eBay or other sites, it isimmediately snatched up, price neverquestioned. Like his explosive, time capsulecrate, it is an adventure many undertake touncover an original. Those in museums,private collections, and the Smithsonian arenever for sale. Like all beautiful, masterfuland unique art, they remain closely held.Like a modern-age pirate, his treasures wereoften hidden and abandoned, left to bediscovered by future treasure hunters.This book is an effort to give thisextraordinary artist a wider recognition - tobring him to an audience of those withdiscriminating sensibility, who will know,"Yes, he is the real thing."Bob Camblin was truly gifted. Few artistsare. He began one leg up on all but thosewho were also born with the golden touch.Adept in all mediums, it was the ink line, thefundamental line, pure and shaded, that tookhim above and beyond the everyman ability.Camblin was born in Oklahoma. As ayoung man, he left for Kansas City ArtInstitute, received a prestigious Fulbright tolive in Italy, returned to live and teach atRingling in Sarasota, Florida, moved on toDetroit University, University of Illinois,University of Utah and, finally, RiceUniversity (Yale of the South). Through allof this, he kept a private studio. When notengaged in teaching, which he claimed nighimpossible, there were one-man shows andseminal collaborations with other artists."Nothing terribly unusual here," you maythink. However, one day in 1976, out of theblue, he walked away from all stability - Rice,friends, personal comforts - and lived the lifeof artist on the edge. Art or nothing. Deviltake the rest."We have nothing to fear, but fear ourselves."Camblin, 1974.During the 1970s and 1980s, using the salesof paintings and commissions, he wouldtravel, drawing and painting in Italy, France,Ireland, Mexico, and across the South Pacific.This book is an abridgment of drawingsfrom 1950-1974: intimate drawings andmusings never intended for the public eye;unmediated, spontaneous expressions of joyin free hand. He ran with this gift untodeath.It is not our desire to write inincomprehensible art-babble. We believe thesensitive person can look at these images andbe deeply pleased, without having to be toldhow they should react and why. This facsimileof original manuscripts will speak to youwithout intermediary, as the artist himselfwould have desired.