Movement, Style, School or Type of Art:
Pop Art
Indiana is frequently associated (by others) with this movement, though he seems to prefer calling himself a "sign painter."
Date and Place of Birth:
September 13, 1928, New Castle, Indiana
His name, on his birth certificate, read "Robert Clark." He once referred to "Robert Indiana" as his "nom de brush," and said it was the only name by which he cared to go.
Life:
Born to a father who worked for Phillips 66, perhaps it's not surprising that numbers (and short words) are a recurring theme in Indiana's work. The 1973 "Love" stamp was probably the most widely distributed Pop image ever (300 million were issued), but his subject matter is drawn from decidely un-Pop American literature and poetry. Best known for sign-like paintings and sculpture, Indiana has also done figurative painting, written poetry and collaborated on the film "EAT" with Andy Warhol.
Important Works:
- The Calumet, 1961
- Figure 5, 1963
- The Confederacy: Alabama, 1965
- LOVE series, 1966
- The Seventh American Dream, 1998
- Hobbs, Robert. Robert Indiana. Rizzoli International Publications; January 2005.
- Indiana, Robert. Love and the American Dream: The Art of Robert Indiana.
Portland Museum of Art; 1999.
Sources and Further Reading
- Kernan, Nathan. Robert Indiana. Assouline; 2004.
- Robert Indiana Prints: A Catalogue Raisonne 1951-1991
Susan Sheehan Gallery; 1992.
- Ryan, Susan Elizabeth; Indiana, Robert. Robert Indiana: Figures of Speech. Yale University Press; 2000.
- Weinhardt, Carl J. Robert Indiana.
Harry N Abrams; 1990.
Go to Artist Profiles: Names beginning with "I" or Artist Profiles: Main Index