Joachim Pissarro: The notion of the orb is very important to you around the point of 1959.
Robert Indiana: Yes, and it relates to love, of course. It had to do with the fact that I was very briefly, and not extensively, exposed to Christian Science . . . The one thing that impressed me that I learned in Christian Science was what the circle represented: life eternal. So it all started with that. Obviously I was obsessed at that time with what I call orbs.
JP: So, you do make a distinction within the series between orbs and circles?
RI: Positively.
JP: Orbs are full, circles are empty . . .?
RI: Orbs lend themselves to a sculptural concept whereas circles tend to be not so sculptural.
Excerpt from “Joachim Pissarro Interviews Robert Indiana,” in Joachim Pissarro & Maria Hoberman, Robert Indiana – Rare Works from 1959 on Coenties Slip. Exhibition catalogue (Zurich: Galerie Gmurzynska, 2011)
