Political and social themes can be found throughout Indiana’s oeuvre, with individual works created as a reaction to specific political events, both domestic and international. The herm Cuba was sparked by the rise of Fidel Castro to power and the subsequent decline in the relationship between Cuba and the United States. The work’s title and subject is conveyed through his characteristic use of stenciled letters, and the bold geometric shapes that are central to Indiana’s painterly vocabulary serve not only as decorative elements, but as references to the Cuban flag, with its blue and white stripes and white five-pointed star.
