Description
Marionette, 1950
Acrylic on board
Signed
21.5 x 16.5 in (frame)
original, includes certificate of authenticity from ArtTrust
The painting “Marionette” features two massive hands in the sky manipulating a marionette. The marionette is dressed in a harlequin outfit, evoking traditional jesters or performers. The desert-like background gives a sense of emptiness and vastness, emphasizing the solitary nature of the figure. The hands are prominent, painted in a pale yellow, which contrasts with the deep blue sky.
The image evokes the Zen concept of non-attachment and letting go of control. The puppet could symbolize the human struggle with control and the illusion of free will. The vast emptiness of the desert further aligns with Zen’s focus on the void, suggesting the idea that much of our sense of control is illusory, and life is ultimately beyond grasp.
A relevant hexagram here could be Hexagram 29, “The Abysmal (Water).” It represents danger or facing inner challenges, which suits the image’s implication of confronting one’s manipulation by unseen forces. It may also indicate a need to flow like water, adapting to circumstances rather than resisting the strings of fate.
Combining the perspectives, the artwork serves as a meditation on the illusion of autonomy. While we may feel controlled by external forces (symbolized by the hands), there is an underlying truth of interconnectedness and acceptance that leads to inner freedom. The harlequin, often seen as a character who plays various roles, might suggest our need to adapt to life’s unpredictable flow.
The style resembles surrealist art, reminiscent of Salvador Dalí’s exploration of dreamlike scenes and René Magritte’s manipulation of scale and reality. It reflects the influence of these movements in questioning perception and the nature of existence.
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“Marionette” was featured in his Yes Retrospective, in volume I of the series Bob Camblin N Compleat Workes, and in Sandra Jensen Rowland’s monograph, Bob Bilyeu Camblin – An Iconoclast in Houston’s Emerging Art Scene.
Reproductions of this drawing are available in multiple sizes!
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This artwork is available with a non-fungible token to ensure traceability and transparency of provenance.
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