Vero Beach Museum of Art
Timeless
Robert Farber Exhibition at Vero Beach Museum of Art
“Timeless” Museum Exhibition
Robert Farber’s style has influenced generations of photographers. His painterly, impressionistic style captures the essence of composition in every genre, including nudes, still life, landscapes, and architecture. His fifteen photo art books have sold over half a million copies.
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis brought Farber into Doubleday for the publication of his book “By The Sea,” which won the Art Director’s Award for color photography. Aside from numerous creative awards, Robert Farber also received the Photographer of the Year from PMA (Photographic Manufacturers Association), the ASP International Award from the PPA (Professional Photographers of America), and The American Society of Photographers. This award was given to those who’ve contributed significantly to the science and art of photography. Some previous award recipients include Dr. Edwin Land (inventor of the Polaroid), George Hurrell, and National Geographic.
Farber’s work with nudes in fine art and commercial art is known and respected. He has lectured for Ogilvy & Mather on the “Nude in Advertising.” ASMP requested to use Farber’s nudes as an example of artistic application in support of the National Endowment of Arts after it backed the controversial Mapplethorpe/Serrano exhibit. His book, “Farber Nudes,” was also included in the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis estate collection.
Farber’s fine-art photographs have been published in virtually every form. He has exhibited in galleries and museums worldwide. He’s lectured at the Smithsonian Institute and The George Eastman House, as well as Universities and professional groups throughout the United States, Japan, Australia, and Europe. Aside from his fine-art photography, Robert Farber’s work encompasses major campaigns for fashion, beauty, and advertising, as well as directing for TV and film. A documentary highlighting Farber’s life and career is developing for PBS.
The Vero Beach Museum of Art is pleased to present Timeless: Robert Farber’s Fashion Photography on view in the Stark Gallery from February 10 through August 31, 2025. The Vero Beach Museum of Art’s Chief Curator, Caitlin Swindell, curated this original exhibition.
ABOUT Farber
Robert Farber (b. 1944) is a renowned photographer whose five-decade career spans commercial and fine art photography. His diverse portfolio includes subjects ranging from fashion and portraiture to still life and landscapes captured worldwide. This exhibition features two of his fashion-related series: “Vintage Fashion,” primarily drawn from his commercial work, and “Deterioration,” a series of fashion photographs transformed by the natural aging of their film transparencies. Over time, exposure to heat, humidity, and other environmental factors caused the film to react chemically, resulting in vivid, surreal distortions that give the images an unexpected, almost otherworldly quality.
Farber, a self-taught artist, began his photography career in New York City in the 1970s. Since then, his work has appeared in major publications such as Vogue, GQ, Elle, and Vanity Fair. He photographed numerous editorial advertisements and commercials for major brands and companies such as Christian Dior, Bill Blass, Revlon, Bloomingdale’s, Marshall Fields, and Saks Fifth Avenue. Farber captured some of the most iconic models of his time, including Gia Carangi (often considered the first supermodel), Janice Dickinson, Apollonia van Ravenstein, Iman, Beverly Johnson, Carol Alt, Christie Brinkley, and Linda Evangelista. Many of these models appear in the works included in the exhibition, but in some cases, the aging of the original film has obscured or altered their features, transforming the images into abstract expressions of fashion and beauty.
Timeless brings together these two fashion-related series for the first time in a museum exhibition, showcasing the breadth of Farber’s work in this genre. The show highlights his creative vision, his collaboration with models and brands, and his ability to reflect on the passage of time—whether by referencing past styles or allowing time itself to shape the final image. The exhibition offers a unique perspective on the intersection of Farber’s artistic and commercial work, exploring the lasting impact of his contributions to the world of fashion photography.