|
| Robert Indiana, American (1928-) |
| |
|
|
|
Robert Indiana (born Robert Clark) was born in New Castle, Indiana on September 13, 1928. He adopted the name of his native state as a pseudonymous surname early in his career. In 1953, Indiana received a degree form the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and in 1954, attended the Edinburgh College of Art in Scotland.
Indiana moved to New York in 1956, where he became associated with the Pop Art movement and began to paint in a geometric, hardedge style, blending commercial art and existentialism which Indiana termed ‘sculptural poems’. With his first New York solo exhibition at Eleanor Ward's Stable Gallery in 1962, Indiana began a long career of showcasing his works in over 30 museums and galleries. In 1964, he worked with artist Andy Warhol, creating ‘Eat’ a 45-minute film of Indiana eating a mushroom in his loft.
"There have been many American SIGN painters, but there never were any American sign PAINTERS." This exercise in emphasis sums up Robert Indiana's position in the world of contemporary art. Steeped in his Midwestern roots, he has taken the everyday symbols and verbiage of roadside America and made them into boldly colored art. Indiana has been an ironic commentator on the American scene as his graphics and paintings have made cultural statements on life and, during the rebellious 1960s, pointed political statements as well.
Indiana is most well known for his iconic LOVE artworks. Originally created in 1964 as a Christmas card design for the Museum of Modern Art, the artwork was reproduced on United States Postal Service postage stamp in 1973. It sold more than 325 million units making it the most popular stamp ever issued, barring Christmas stamps. Indiana was paid $1000 by the US Postal Service.
In the tradition of LOVE, Indiana created HOPE and donated all proceeds from the sales of its reproduction on t-shirts, pins, posters, bumper stickers to Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign. The artist has called HOPE “Love’s close relative."
Indiana has lived and worked in Vinalhaven, Maine since 1978.
QUOTE:
"Pop Art is the American Dream, optimistic, generous and naïve!”
Select Museum Collections:
Whitney Museum of American Art, NY
Museum of Modern Art, NY
Art Institute of Chicago, IL
Walker Art Center, MN
Tate Gallery, London
back to top |
|
 |
| |
|
