About the Artwork

One of the preeminent figures in American Art since the 1960s Robert Indiana has played a central role in the development of assemblage art, hard-edge painting and Pop art. A self proclaimed “American painter of signs,” Indiana has created a highly original body of work that explores American identity, personal history and the power of abstraction and language, establishing an important legacy that resonates in the work of many contemporary artists who make the written word a central element of their oeuvre. Indiana created his first LOVE sculpture in 1966 in carved aluminium, which was displayed in his celebrated LOVE show at the Stable Gallery in New York. Soon thereafter, Indiana’s distinctive combination of word and image permeated the wider popular culture, and became a symbol of the new “Love generation.” Even after his rendering of LOVE was hailed as an icon of modern art, Indiana returned to the subject at various points throughout his career to explore different formal variations, each with its own distinct power of expression. Indiana has emphasized that his primary interest in the subject of love has been spiritual, although his iconic renditions of the subject have been taken to signify a vast range of meanings. Today, examples of the monumental LOVE sculpture can be found in cities throughout the world.

Year: 1966/1999


Copyright Morgan Art Foundation, Artists Rights Sociaty (ARS), New York / DACS, London

Material

polychrome aluminium on steel base

Dimensions

243.8 x 243.8 x 121.9 cm