Robert Indiana: Exploding Numbers, 1964–66, Oil on canvas. Four panels: 1: 12 × 12 in. (30.5 × 30.5 cm) 2: 24 × 24 in. (61 × 61 cm) 3: 36 × 36 in. (91.4 × 91.4 cm) 4: 48 × 48 in. (121.9 × 121.9 cm) Photo: Courtesy of Tom Powel Imaging, New York; Artwork© 2024 Morgan Art Foundation Ltd./ Artists Rights Society (ARS), Courtesy The Robert Indiana Legacy Initiative

How can art encapsulate the complexities of the human condition and the simplicity of shapes, words and numbers? Robert Indiana is the artist who more than any other has been able to transform simple everyday signs into pure art.

Life of Robert Indiana

Robert Indiana, LOVE

After his initial training between Chicago and Europe, Indiana moved to New York City in 1954, while still using his real name Robert Clark. His life took an unexpected direction two years later when a chance meeting with Ellsworth Kelly propelled him into new creative adventures.

NEW YORK AND THE ENCOUNTER WITH HIS ART COMMUNITY. 

The move to a loft in Coenties Slip marks a period of intense experimentation for Robert Indiana.
This area of Lower Manhattan, with its maritime past and run-down atmosphere, becomes the backdrop against which Indiana begins to explore new forms of expression.
With limited resources, the artist devoted himself to creating assemblages using salvaged materials. At the same time he develops a visual language that dialogues with the rich artistic community of the place, including such figures as Kelly, Agnes Martin and James Rosenquist.

A STAGE NAME AND SUCCESS

During this period of fervent creativity Indiana decides to adopt a stage name.
He takes the name of the American state where he was born, Indiana, and becomes forever “Robert Indiana.”
This symbolic choice marks not only a personal rebirth but also the affirmation of his artistic identity, anticipating his rise as a central figure among Pop Art artists.

In the early 1960s, Indiana began making works distinguished by the use of geometry, text, and numbers, used to critique the culture of consumerism.

ROBERT INDIANA’S ARTISTIC MATURITY

Robert Indiana’s works become the containers of personal memories and reflections on the human condition, exploring themes such as identity, faith, and the challenges of the modern age.
His art, spanning a career of more than fifty years, reveals a deep connection to the roots of American culture and the formal exploration of modernist movements.

Robert Indiana’s worldwide consecration comes at the 2024 Venice Art Biennale, which presents a solo exhibition of his work as a collateral event and spans the artist’s entire career.
The exhibition is not only a tribute to a great artist of the 20th century and the first decades of the 21st century, but it is also pronounced as an event that aims to reintroduce Indiana’s work to a new generation of artists, who will have to pick up the baton of a great artist and face new challenges.

ROBERT INDIANA’S LEGACY

Through his artistic vision, Robert Indiana boldly addressed universal themes, enriching cultural dialogue with a unique perspective. His legacy, which extends far beyond the Pop art phenomenon, invites continued reflection on the dynamics of contemporary society and the role of art as a vehicle for personal and collective expression.

Robert Indiana has created a body of work that challenges, inspires and engages in dialogue with new generations, testifying to the power of art to explore and transform the complexity of human existence.