Arthur Carr: I’m wondering if you would choose to talk a little about the painterly aspects of what you’re doing, and how you would answer a layman’s question as to “just what is Indiana trying to do;” “what is he trying to say?” Would you speak to that point?
Robert Indiana: Well, of course, that’s a big question, Arthur. First of all . . . I’ve come to my present technique through and by two or three various routes, I mean, the first, the essential and most important, was the influence of Ellsworth Kelly in that he introduced me to the, shall we say, the hard-edge and to the whole flat school of painting. I knew of this school. I was aware of it. But it had never made an impression on me. I had never felt that I would want to work in that manner myself. In other words, there was no real exposure to it at the Art Institute. . . . Now, when it came to using the stencil and when I came to look at the signs, and the signs—the commercial sign is a great influence on my work. In other words, I’ve even been included in, shall we say, articles in which I am referred to as a sign-painter and people—derogatory remarks have been made by critics who feel that they’re making a very cutting comment on my work by saying that I am only a glorified sign painter, shall we say. Now, I have been influenced by signs. I find signs very, very beautiful and I find it not at all above, or rather below, inspiration. These two things have brought me to my present technique.
Arthur C. Carr, "The Reminiscences of Robert Indiana," New York, November 1965, Arthur C. Carr papers; Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Library, pp. 118–20.