Robert Arber

born 1942 Detroit, Michigan; lives Marfa, Texas

BiographyRobert Arber came to printmaking through the Tamarind Institute in Albuquerque. With an interest in mechanics, Arber left Tamarind with no money, but welded his own press and set up a print shop in Alameda in 1976. His son, Amos, had just been born and thus the shop was named Arber & Son Editions, though Amos didn’t actually become involved in printing. In 1988 Arber visited Marfa, Texas and met Donald Judd who provided funds for Arber to set up a print shop at the Chinati Foundation. Judd passed away in 1994 and the shop at Chinati became inactive. Arber relocated to Marfa in 1998, converting an old movie theater in downtown Marfa to a printshop, which he continues to work out of today. In 2003 he established the 30 x 30 cm project, a collaboration between Arber & Son Editions and the visiting artist-in-residence at the Chinati Foundation in Marfa. Each artist is invited to create an edition of no more than 40 prints that are 30 x 30 cm each. Arber has worked with a range of artists including Bruce Nauman, Al Taylor, Terry Allen, Elaine de Kooning, Donald Judd, and many more. [Printer's Proof]

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