VERO BEACH, FLA.- Vero Beach Museum of Art presents Timeless: Robert Farber’s Fashion Photography on view in the Stark Gallery from February 10 through August 31, 2025. This original exhibition is curated by the Vero Beach Museum of Art’s Chief Curator, Caitlin Swindell.
Robert Farber (b. 1944) is a renowned photographer whose five-decade career spans both commercial and fine art photography. His diverse portfolio includes subjects ranging from fashion and portraiture to still life and landscapes, captured from around the world. 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.
"Robert sees the world through the eyes of a romantic, and he communicates by means of soft movement, flowing shapes, and pure nature. I usually associate Robert's images with romantic symbolism, more in keeping with the traditions of my own generation—antique pillars, steps, soft veils.”—Fashion Photographer Horst P. Horst (German American, 1906-1999)
“Today there are tens of thousands of serious photographers seeking new interpretations of the beauty of the female form. There is but a handful whose work truly interests us by revealing different ways of seeing and understanding this beauty. Robert Farber is one of the very few who can delight and please us in this elusive approach to nature. From abstraction to realism, he reveals to us his love of the female form. His delightful and beautiful photographs offer a unique pleasure.”—Renowned Photographer Arnold Newman (American, 1918-2006)
In addition to his work in fashion, Farber has created photography for a variety of major companies, including Paramount, Sony Electronics, and 20th Century Fox. A favorite artist of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, who brought Farber into Doubleday to publish his book By The Sea, 15 photography art books of his work have collectively sold over half a million copies. Throughout his career, his passion has extended beyond his fine art and commercial photography to mentoring and educating others in these fields.
Farber has lectured at the Smithsonian Institution as well as universities and professional groups throughout the United States, Japan, Australia, and Europe. Among his accolades are numerous creative awards, the Photographer of the Year from the Photographic Manufacturers Association, and the ASP International Award from the Professional Photographers of America and the American Society of Photographers.
