Joy is one of a group of small 1961 canvases (measuring 12 x 11 inches or 10 x 8 inches) that feature a combination of three or four-letter words and orbs. It was first exhibited in the 1962 show Indiana / Natkin, at the Stubbing and Greenfield Gallery, Mamaroneck, New York. The work was purchased by Eleanor Ward, owner of Stable Gallery, New York, where he held his first solo exhibition (Robert Indiana, October 16–November 3, 1962).
The word "joy" appeared again in a series of 1963 rubbings which the artist sent to friends.
Joy was most recently on display in Robert Indiana: The Sweet Mystery, at the Procuratie Vecchie, Venice, April 20–November 24, 2024.