Robert Indiana (b. 1928)
LOVE - Philadelphia LOVE (The Book of LOVE), 1996; Serigraph on A.N.W. Crestwood Museum Edition paper; Numbered 195/200 in pencil lower left; Signed R Indiana and dated '96 in pencil lower right; Published by American Image Editions, New York; Size - Sheet: 24" x 20", Frame 28 3/4 x 24 3/4"; Framed with a black wood frame, linen liner, and UV conservation clear glass; SOLD!
The American ART; Serigraph on paper; Numbered 63/125 in pencil upper left; Signed R Indiana in pencil upper right; Size - Sheet: 14" x 11 3/4", Unframed; SOLD!
LOVE - Golden LOVE (The Book of LOVE), 1996; Serigraph on A.N.W. Crestwood Museum Edition paper; Numbered 195/200 in pencil lower left; Signed R Indiana and dated '96 in pencil lower right; Published by American Image Editions, New York; Size - Sheet: 24" x 20", Unframed; SOLD!
LOVE - Black and White LOVE (The Book of LOVE), 1996; Serigraph on A.N.W. Crestwood Museum Edition paper; Numbered 195/200 in pencil lower left; Signed R Indiana and dated '96 in pencil lower right; Published by American Image Editions, New York; Size - Sheet: 24" x 20", Frame 36 1/2 x 33 1/2"; Framed with a black wood frame, acid free mat, and UV conservation clear glass; SOLD!
LOVE - Philadelphia LOVE (The Book of LOVE), 1996; Serigraph on A.N.W. Crestwood Museum Edition paper; Numbered 195/200 in pencil lower left; Signed R Indiana and dated '96 in pencil lower right; Published by American Image Editions, New York; Size - Sheet: 24" x 20", Frame 28 3/4 x 24 3/4"; Framed with a black wood frame, linen liner, and UV conservation clear glass.
Robert Indiana (1928–2018) was an American artist closely associated with the Pop Art movement, known for transforming simple words and numbers into powerful visual symbols. Born Robert Clark in New Castle, Indiana, he adopted the name of his home state as a tribute to his Midwestern roots. Indiana’s work drew on the bold graphics and commercial aesthetics of American culture—signs, logos, and typography—but with a deeply personal and sometimes spiritual subtext. His art explored themes of identity, love, faith, and the American Dream, often balancing optimism with critique. He used language as both image and message, turning words into icons that spoke to the emotional and social pulse of modern America.
Indiana’s most famous creation, LOVE, became one of the most recognizable works in contemporary art. Originally conceived as a painting in the early 1960s and later turned into a sculptural
form, LOVE features the four letters stacked in a square with the “O” tilted sideways. Its vibrant colors—often red, blue, and green—reflect the graphic clarity of advertising and mass production, while its message conveys universal human emotion. Despite its apparent simplicity, LOVE embodies multiple layers of meaning. For Indiana, it was both a celebration of affection and a commentary on the commercialization of sentiment in modern life. The LOVE design gained global fame when it was reproduced on a U.S. postage stamp in 1973, cementing Indiana’s legacy and spreading his message of connection and peace worldwide.
Decades later, Indiana revisited similar themes with his HOPE series, created during the 2008 U.S. presidential election. Like LOVE, HOPE used bold typography and geometric balance to deliver an uplifting message in turbulent times. Indiana saw HOPE not as a repetition but as a renewal—a companion to LOVE that addressed a new generation’s aspirations. The proceeds from early HOPE artworks supported Barack Obama’s campaign, linking Indiana’s art to political engagement and civic optimism. The word “hope,” rendered in the same blocky, tilted style, evoked a sense of continuity with his earlier work while expanding its message from personal affection to collective aspiration.
Throughout his life, Robert Indiana remained both celebrated and misunderstood. While LOVE and HOPE brought him fame, they also overshadowed his broader body of work, which included paintings, prints, and sculptures addressing themes of mortality, religion, and the struggles of American life. Indiana’s use of language as art was pioneering—he turned typography into poetry and design into philosophy. His legacy endures as a testament to the power of simple words, boldly stated, to capture the deepest human emotions and the enduring ideals of love and hope.
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