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The Essential Robert Indiana by Martin Krause

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Works by Robert Indiana

Louisa Dewey

Contributor

What’s not to ‘LOVE’ about Robert Indiana?

Robert Indiana was adopted as a baby and lived in 21 different homes by the time he graduated from high school. That’s a lot of places, so you’d think little Robert wouldn’t have had much of a chance to make an impression. But this kid defied all expectations! Even as early as elementary school, Indiana’s teachers were blown away by the primordial stirrings of his creative talent. In fact, Robert’s first grade teacher was one of the primary proponents in encouraging him to become an artist. 

After studying at the Art Institute of Chicago, the Skowhegan School of Sculpture and Painting in Maine, and the Edinburgh College of Art in Scotland (phew!), Indiana moved to the Coenties Slip in Manhattan, formerly a major port but by that point a remote community of artists scraping a living among the abandoned warehouses. Very trendy. In New York, Indiana quickly became regarded as one of the most creative artists of his generation and set himself apart from the masses as leader of the Pop Art movement.

Today, Indiana is best known for his iconic “LOVE” statue, which was later featured on a U.S. postage stamp. After the image became popularized, critics began to dismiss Indiana as a sell-out. But Indiana was not to be relegated to the realm of Andy Warhol-- he removed himself from the New York art world and relocated to a random island in Maine to pursue his artwork, unfettered by the weight of his newfound fame. 

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Marguerite Elliot

Contributor

His birthname was Robert Clark, but his "nom de brush" is Robert Indiana.

Considered himself a sign painter. After all, he grew up around them. His father worked at Phillips 66. His mother ran a diner with the big "EAT" sign flashing overhead. When his father left, he drove away, down Route 66.

Indiana’s favorite quote: "There have been many American SIGN painters, but there never were any American sign PAINTERS."

Many of his paintings and sculpture incorporate numbers or short words like "Eat", "Die", and "Hug". Often with biting commentary about life in the U.S. Indiana’s critical social commentary did not stop the post office from issuing the famous “Love “ stamp in 1973. Possibly the most popular ever – 300 million. That’s a lot of love.

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Wikipedia

Featured Content

Here is what Wikipedia says about Robert Indiana

Robert Indiana (born Robert Clark; September 13, 1928 – May 19, 2018) was an American artist associated with the pop art movement.

Indiana is mostly known for his iconic image LOVE which was first created in 1964 in the form of a card. Indiana sent these cards to several friends and acquaintances in the art world. In 1965, Robert Indiana was invited to propose an artwork to be featured on the Museum of Modern Art's annual Christmas card. Indiana submitted several 12” square oil on canvas variations based on his LOVE image. The museum selected the most intense color combination in red, blue, and green. It became one of the most popular cards the museum has ever offered. Indiana continued to develop his LOVE series, and in 1966, worked with Marian Goodman of Multiples, Inc. to make his first LOVE sculpture in aluminum. In 1970, Indiana completed his first monumental LOVE sculpture in Cor-Ten steel which is in the collection of the Indianapolis Museum of Art.

Indiana has also been a focal point of the LGBTQ rights movement after it was disclosed that his famous LOVE artwork was the result of the breakup between him and artist Ellsworth Kelly, who notably, inspired Indiana's style of work.

In addition to being a painter and sculptor, Indiana made posters and prints and also designed stage sets and costumes for the Virgil Thompson and Gertrude Stein opera The Mother of Us All. Indiana's artwork has been featured in numerous exhibitions around the world and is included in the permanent collections of many major museums including the Museum of Modern Art, New York; Tate Modern, London; and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

Check out the full Wikipedia article about Robert Indiana

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