Dave
Rockenbeck began making paper by hand in 1976, in his Reno, Nevada studio using
hand built equipment. His interest in the history and development of paper has
led to visits to papermaking facilities in England and Europe and, in 1995,
to sites throughout China, some dating to before the first century.
The artist's formal studies
have included coursework in letterpress and printmaking at the University of
Nevada, Reno. He has presented lectures, workshops and demonstrations in papermaking
in Nevada and Pennsylvania and has taught papermaking at the University of Nevada,
Reno Art Department. He has done collaborative work with other artists, providing
technical support, consultation and custom papers. Although his initial interest
was in producing fine quality European-style papers for letterpress, watercolor
and printmaking, he began working with paper as a sculptural medium in 1989.
Rockenbeck's paper works have been shown at the Getchell Library Gallery in Reno and at numerous
fundraising events. In 1998, one of his works was selected for exhibition
in the fourth annual “Art of Paper” show sponsored by the West Coast
Paper Company in Kent, Washington. His works have been shown at Stremmel Gallery
in Reno, Nevada, and at Gallery Mack in Seattle. He regularly exhibits work
at the Art/Not Terminal Gallery where he has been an active member since 2003.
Rockenbeck's work is included in collections in Nevada, California, Oregon,
Washington, Illinois and New York.
The artist holds a doctoral degree in counseling psychology from the University
of Illinois in Urbana- Champaign (1971). He has served as a psychologist in
the Indian Health Service and lived and traveled widely in “Indian country”
throughout the Southwest. In 2000, he retired from his position as psychologist
at the Lake’s Crossing Center for the Mentally Disordered Offender in
Sparks, Nevada. He presently lives in Redmond, Washington, where he maintains
a papermaking and sculpture studio in a renovated historic barn. He has a
continuing interest in Chinese language, calligraphy and cooking, in Japanese
gardening and in model railroading.