In the 1950s and early 1960s Robert received two large commissions to work for other sculptors, Ibram Lassaw (one of the founders of the Abstract Artists Association) and Herbert Ferber.
He went on to produce welded sculptures of his own, exhibiting in juried shows, selling, and receiving commissions, notably for a "...large stainless steel piece in which the mirror finish ... picked up the reflected the colors of the sun and fall leaves.
Roberts was not paralyzed from the fall due to the then experimental spinal clip procedure, seven weeks in hospital and six months in a full upper body cast.
Another project was tentatively titled "Ancient Bottle, New Wine: The Impact of Hans Hofmann and His New York City Mosaic Murals on the World of Modern Art."
The Hofmann murals (on 711 Third Avenue and on West 49th) consumed a year of Han's creative life, yet are largely overlooked despite their providing an enlightening window into his theory of "Pure Color."
In times when there seemed to be reason to be discouraged with my choice of following his path of work, his words left me not overly disturbed at lack of either recognition or of great leaps of progression.