Larry Graeber, a Texas-based artist, considers himself a painter and sculptor. He presently works in San Antonio and Marfa TX studios.
Raised in Austin the oldest of three children, the son of an architect, and homemaker/ volunteer. Larry was always involved in making things: forts, treehouses and down hill coasters. In school it was the industrial arts and architecture classes that peaked his interest, learning to use tools and to draw ideas. Summers were spent working in his grandad's lumber yard, Graeber Lumber.
Thinking he might follow in his dad's footsteps college studies began with architectural intentions. Challenged by academia and dyslexic complications Larry changed direction to studying printmaking, jewelry, painting and sculpture, even a little filmmaking. By his second year he had already found a studio in downtown San Marcos that he devoted to painting.
Graeber began exhibiting in 1971, curated into Texas Painting and Sculpture Exhibition, Dallas Museum of Fine Arts. His first major one person exhibition was in 1974, Works from a Small Duplex, curated by then director John Leeper and hosted by the McNay Art Museum in their upstairs galleries. After a brief hiatus Larry acquired gallery representation in Houston and Dallas spending subsequent years devoted to these venues and some sizable steel sculpture making. These years also included inclusion in two books; Art at Our Doorstep 2008 compiled by Riley Robinson (Artpace) and Trinity Press. Texas Abstract; modern/contemporary, 2014 Michael Paglia and Jim Edwards, Frisco Books.
In 2011 Larry turned his attention to curating, mounting the exhibit Margins; six artists, catalog with essay for the campus gallery, UTSA. In 2016 he was invited to participate in the first pop-up exhibit at the McNay Art Museum, Meet the Future 2016, curated by Rene Barilleaux. Just prior to the pandemic he and Sterling Allen collaborated in the project room of Blue Star Contemporary, with an exhibit of wall and floor sculpture titled Formal Proof, an accompanying catalog with essay by Anjali Gupta, Fall 2019.
Project statement – to mine a personal perspective, world view, for cognitive contemplation.
Recent events:
2023
Pop-up exhibit at the Blue Star Arts Complex:
paintings, sculpture and two works on paper, February
This exhibit illustrates examples of paintings, sculpture and recent foam board pieces, work that began in early spring 2022.
2022
blurb book Summer '22, paintings, sculpture and some foil leaf application
texas sculpture sltx, 52 texas sculptors - art museum TX sugar land, aug 19 - oct 16
Collect Art publication, included in Spring issue
International Sculpture Day - open studio, April 30
2021
Sculpture Month Houston; Altamira, primal urge to create, The Silos, Huston
New Texas Talent XXVIII Craighead Green Gallery, Dallas
state of sculpture, TSG Exhibition at the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts:
sculpture today - Dock Space Gallery, exhibition and auction TSG
open studio - International sculpture day
Witnesses - Works on Paper, March Spotlight, Platform Gallery (web)
Jan - Feb - "ON THE BAYOU" TSG Exhibition, Redbud Gallery, Houston
2020
Dec - Where to Look - Witnesses; blurb book, paintings and paperworks
July - Coming and Going; blurb book, works on paper 1990 – 2000 2020
first quarter blurb book - Landscapes, Portraits and Assemblies
Art Folio 2020 curated collection edited by Douglas King, Juror Mary Beaudry
Creativpaper Vol 2, issue 018, pages 40 - 45
Closing of exhibit Formal Proof; blurb book illustrates exhibit at Blue Star Contemporary Formal Proof,
Sterling Allen and Larry Graeber with essay by Anjali Gupta
2019
pop up Gallery 90 - 13 artists, three openings, nov 29 - dec 28
formal proof - exhibit at BSC: blurb book with essay by Anjali Gupta
Blue Star Contemporary: Formal Proof; Sterling Allen and Larry Graeber, Project Room
Glasstire - interview by Gary Sweeney December 9, 2019
State Wide: Texas Sculpture Group exhibit Houston Baptist University
Studio Debris - Sculpture, blurb book with the essay by Matthew Mendez
When They Appear; Marilyn Jolly & Larry Graeber, Grayduck Gallery, Austin, catalog
Larry Graeber, Works on Paper, March Spotlight, Platform Gallery, Seattle WA
1340 Art Magazine 2019//01 - page 45; Creatures oil on canvas 2018
2018
three blurb books - Eye on You, paintings and drawings, Dec 2018
Sky and Land, painting, May - Aug 2018
Coupling and other paintings, Jan - Apr 2018,
exhibit of paintings; Sky and Land, Greasewood Gallery, Marfa TX
Fifth Annual ArtSpace 111 Regional Juried Exhibition: Juried by Christina Rees
International Sculpture Center, mixed media sculpture, Boy, Hamilton Township
International Sculpture Center's Chapter Member Exhibition at Zona Maco, Mexico City
Silent; Dock Space Gallery, paintings and sculpture, San Antonio TX, Jan 13-Feb 2
2017
blurb book - paintings, works on paper, sculpture
assorted work; Overland Partners, paintings, sculpture, paper works, San Antonio, TX, Nov 2017 - Jan 2018
Fiction; exhibition of sculpture and wall reliefs, Angelo State University, San Angelo, TX, Oct 2 - Nov 3
One of two presenters, James Surls and myself, at the Richard and Pam Salmon sculpture competition symposium sponsored by Angelo State University and the San Angelo Museum of Fine Art, Oct 13
Intersections; Rachael Wren, David Alcantar, Larry Graeber - Curated by Benjamin McVey, Anthem Gallery, hosted by Fl!ght Gallery, Blue Star, San Antonio
Place to Place; exhibition of sculpture, paintings, works on paper; catalog, essay by Chad Dawkins, de stijl\Podium for Art, Austin, TX
The Austin Chronicle - Arts & Culture. Larry Graeber: Place to Place by Sam Anderson Ramos, http://www.austinchronicle.com/arts/2017-04-07/larry-graeber-place-to-place/
Red Dot, curated by Jacqueline McGilvray, catalog, Blue Star Contemporary, San Antonio
Survey: Texas sculpture group; curated by Chad Dawkins, Texas State University
2016
Passing Glance; James Joffe & Larry Graeber, Gallery 20/20, San Antonio
Above and Below; six sculptors, Curated by Sculpture Month Houston. sponsored by Rudolph Blume Fine Art /Art Scan Gallery, Houston Sculpture Month Houston; celebration and survey, Oct 15 - Nov 19 at the Decorative Ctr., Houston,
Rivard Report - Urban. Independent. All About San Antonio. Larry Graeber: Making Art as a Way of Life by David S Rubin http://therivardreport.com/larry-graeber-making-art-as-a-way-of-life/
Meet the Future 2016 pop-up exhibition, six artists, McNay Art Museum, curated by Rene Barilleaux