1960–1964 - Paintings - Robert Indiana

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Artworks-Items

A mirrored ginkgo leaf form on a plywood and gesso panel

A primarily black and brown painting; the top third consists of two black orbs containing brown stars, above the painting's title, Terre Haute, in red stenciled letters. Below is a rectangular black field with the text Wabash 40, in white stenciled letters, above a row of black and brown danger stripes

A painting dominated by three brown and three black vertical stripes. Three orbs appear in the bottom third of the painting. Each is divided into black and white triangles; the central one is contained in a blue square, the ones to the left and right in red squares. Below this is the painting's title, Electi, in black letters.

A black and brown painting with two rows of two orbs, each containing a star, as well as references to major American highways and pinball machines. The work's title, "The American Dream," appears in multicolored stenciled letters in a ring around the lower right hand orb

The American Dream, I

A red, yellow, black, and blue painting consisting of two rows of two orbs, each containing a star. Each star contains a word: law and cat in the top row and men and sex in the second row. Below the orbs is the painting's title, The Triumph of Tira, in blue stenciled letters, and a row of red and black danger stripes.

The Triumph of Tira

A painting dominated by two large double ginkgo leave forms. Above them is a row of red and black danger stripes. Below them is the painting's title, The Sweet Mystery, in blue stenciled letters. Below the title is a thicker band of red and black danger stripes.

The Sweet Mystery

A rectangular painting with a black background. The word ballyhoo is painted in white stenciled letters across the top. Below are four yellow circles in squares of different colors. Below each square, is a brown arrow pointing up. The arrows occupy approximately two thirds of the canvas.

A painting with a red field of color containing a red orb with a red star in the upper third of the canvas. Below are a blue and a green semicircle, and the painting's title, Le Premier Homme, in red stenciled letters

Le Premier Homme

A blue canvas with a red orb containing a red star in the upper half, and the painting's title, Gog, in green stenciled letters in the lower half

A bright red blue and green triptych. The first canvas contains to red orbs, against a blue background above two green planes. The second canvas contains one green orb against a blue background above two red planes. The third canvas contains four blue orbs against a red background above two small green planes.

A red painting consisting of two rows of two stars in the upper two thirds of the canvas, and the word love painted in red stenciled letters against a darker red band of color

A painting consisting of two light brown orbs above the work Joy, painted in red, against a darker brown ground

A blue painting featuring a circle with the painting's title Coenties Slip West in red stenciled letters in a white ring around its perimeter. Inside the circle is a red stylized representation of Coenties Slip

Coenties Slip West

A painting with a circle dominating most of the canvas. The white outer ring of the circle contains blue stenciled text reading "Andabatarianism" and it encloses a design of red and green triangles. The painting's title, Made in USA, appears in green stenciled text across the lower edge of the work.

A painting dominated by a circle on a red background. Within the circle is a red star, and a yellow ring around the circle contains the word irresurrection in red stenciled letters. Bellow the circle is the work's title, Bardrock, painted in red stenciled letters.

A painting dominated by an orange circle against a green background. A red star is in the center of the circle, with green circles in between each of the star's arms. The word irresurrections is painted in blue stenciled letters in a ring surrounding the star. A blue numeral one appears in the upper left of the canvas, a blue nine in the upper right, a blue six in the lower left and a blue one in the lower right. The work's title, Hardrock, is painted in blue stenciled letters across the bottom of the canvas.

A painting consisting of a large circle against a green background. In the center of the blue circle is a red triangle, surrounded by the stenciled green against white text "loftiest trucks were made for wildest winds." Red stenciled text in a white ring surrounding the circle reads "this brain truck of mine now sails amid the cloud scud"

A painting with a large circle around four smaller circles on a green background. Each contains green stenciled text in a white ring. The outer circles reads "God is a lily of the valley. He can do everything but fail. The smaller circles read "He is blossom," "He is stamen," "He is root," and "He is pistil."

God Is a Lily of the Valley

A painting with a large blue circle against a red background. Within the circle are four other circles enclosing text around a white outer ring. The text reads "He is a star," "He is a king," "He is a ruby," and "He is a tiger." A white ring around the larger circle contains red stenciled text that reads "God is a lily of the valley. He can do everything but fail."

God Is a Lily of the Valley

A painting with a large circle containing seven smaller. The seven smaller circles each hold an orange star, and are surrounded by the names of different Native American tribes painted in red stenciled letters in an outer yellow ring. A yellow ring encloses the large circle, and contains the red stenciled text "On the mountains of the prairie Gitche Manito the mighty called the tribes of men together."

A painting with a green circle dominating the blue canvas. Within the circle is another green circle, surrounded by a white ring containing blue stenciled text, "nor forget I to sing of the wonders, year of meteors," and a blue compass rose design. Surrounding the larger circle is a white ring with green stenciled text reading "Well shaped and stately the Great Eastern swam up my bay. She was six hundred feet long."

Year of Meteors

A blue painting with a green circle surrounded by a white ring containing the work's title, "The Fair Rebecca," painted in blue letters, in the center of the canvas. This is surrounded by an orange compass rose inspired design within an orange-red circle. Surrounding this is a white ring with the blue text "The American Slave Company New York."

The Fair Rebecca

A painting dominated by a large circle containing a black and yellow hexagon surrounded by a white ring. Within the ring the work's title, "The American Reaping Company," appears in black text. The circle is set against a black ground which ends in three triangular shapes, resembling a crown.

The American Reaping Company

A painting of a large circular image against a background of yellow and black vertical stripes. A large red circle contains four smaller circles, each quartered into yellow and black diamonds and surrounded by white ring containing the numerals 0 through 9 painted in black. Surrounding the red circle is a white ring containing the painting's title "The American Gas Works," painted in black letters, and two small black stars.

The American Gas Works

A painting with a large circular design and text against a blue ground. Painted across the bottom of the work, in white stenciled letters, is "The President." Above this is a large red circle containing a blue star. Five smaller green circles, each with "US" in blue letters, have been painted between the arms of each star. A white ring surrounding the red circle contains the text "A divorced man has never been" painted in red stenciled letters.

A Divorced Man Has Never Been the President

A painting consisting of a circular design against a brown ground. The word "Columbus" appears across the bottom edge of the canvas in white stenciled letters, with the "o" tilted. A large circle appears in the top two thirds of the canvas. It consists of a brown compass rose design surrounded by a white ring containing the text "The Geography of the Memory" in red stenciled letters.

Columbus: The Geography of the Memory

A diptych; one panel contains the word Eat in red letters within a white circle against a red background. The second panel consists of the word Die in black letters within a white circle against a black background.

A diptych consisting of two diamond shaped panels. One panel contains the word Eat in green letters within a red circle against a green background. The other contains the word Die in yellow letters within a black circle against a red background.

The Green Diamond Eat/The Red Diamond Die

A painting consisting of a large circular design and text against a black ground. The work's title, "The Eateria," appears in white stenciled letters across the bottom of the canvas. Above this is a red circle surrounded by a ring containing the numerals one through eight alternating between black against a white ground and white against a black ground. This is surrounded by a ring containing the word EAT, painted in stenciled letters eight times, alternating between yellow letters against a red background and red letters against a yellow background.

A painting consisting of a large circular design and text against a yellow ground. The work's title, "The Dietary," appears in black stenciled letters across the bottom of the canvas. Above this is a black circle surrounded by a ring containing the numerals one through eight alternating between red against a yellow ground and yellow against a red ground. This is surrounded by a ring containing the word DIE, painted in stenciled letters eight times, alternating between black letters against a white background and white letters against a black background.

A black diamond-shaped canvas containing four circles. The yellow circle at the top corner contains the word EAT, in black letters, painted twice in a cruciform design, against a red cross, and four smaller red circles containing a blue star. The blue circle in the right corner of the diamond contains the word juke in yellow, and two black and one yellow star both above and below the word. Surrounding it is a yellow and red ring with the numerals one through eight in black. The red circle at the bottom of the canvas contains a black star with a red numeral two, and smaller black circles with yellow stars in between the arms of the black star. Surrounding the circle is a yellow ring with "The American Dream" painted in black. The green circle in the left corner of the diamond contains the word Jack painted in red, with a red star above and below. It is encircled by a yellow ring with ten black stars.

The Black Diamond American Dream #2

A painting consisting of four red diamond shaped panels, each containing a circle. The circle at the top of the diamond has US in a black circle, surrounded by a ring with horizontal black and white strips, and the numbers 40, 29, 66, and 37. The circle in the right has the word take in a red circle, surrounded by a ring with the word all appearing four times, twice in black letters against a white background and twice in white letters against a black background. The circle at the bottom contains the numeral three in a red and black circle surrounded by a white ring with the text "The American Dream." The red circle in the left corner contains the word tilt in black, surrounded by a ring with the numerals one through eight, alternating between a black numeral against a white ground and a white numeral against a black ground.

The Red Diamond American Dream #3

A black and white triptych. "Corlears Hook" is painted in white letters across the bottom of the left panel. Above it is a white ring wit the text, in black, "There is your insular city." Coenties Slip appears in white letters across the bottom of the central panel. Above it is a white ring with the black text "Cit of the Manhattoes." Whitehall appears in white letters across the bottom of the right panel. The white ring above the painting contains the black text "Circumambulate the city."

The Melville Triptych

A with a black ground and its title, Coenties Slip, appearing in yellow letters across the bottom of the canvas. Above this is a circle with a yellow ring containing the text "City of the Manhattoes" in red stenciled letters. Inside the blue circle is a red stylized representation of Coenties Slip.

A black and white painting dominated by a circle enclosing a white star, surrounded by a white ring with the text "Stable 16 October 62" painted in black stenciled letters. Below the circle Indiana has been painted in white stenciled letters.

A painting with a black ground and its title, "The Rebecca," painted in white stenciled letters across the bottom of the canvas. Above the text is a large circle, at the center of which is a blue eight within a white ring with a the black text "Port of New York," within a red compass rose within a blue circle. Surrounding this is another white ring, containing the text, in black, "The American Slave Company."

A blue triangular painting with a red eight red eight within a blue octagon within a white circle

A painting with a red ground and the word "triangle" been painted in white letters across the bottom of the canvas. Above this is a blue circle containing a green numeral three within a red triangle. Surrounding this is a white ring with the word "tinitinnabulation" painted in blue.

Polygon: Triangle

A painting with a yellow ground with the word "nonagon" been painted in black letters across the bottom of the canvas. Above this is a yellow nonagon containing a red numeral nine. Surrounding this is a white ring with the text "nonending nonagon" painted in black.

Polygon: Nonagon

A painting with a black ground and the word "undecagon" been painted in red letters across the bottom of the canvas. Above this is a red undecagon containing the black number eleven. Surrounding this is a white ring with the text "unco undecagon" painted in black.

Polygon: Undecagon

A painting dominated by a green field of color. The bottom quarter of the canvas contains the work's title, Grass, in green stenciled letters against the white canvas.

A painting dominated by the number 66 painted in red against a white ground. Above the 66 is a horizontal field of red with the USA painted in blue stenciled letters.

A painting with a blue upper half containing green stenciled letters spelling Eat. The bottom half of the canvas is red and contains a yellow fork with the tines facing to the right.

A square painting with the Hug painted in the upper half of the canvas in black stenciled letters against a yellow background. The bottom half of the painting is a field of red.

A painting with the upper half containing green and white stenciled letters spelling Eat on a blue background. The bottom half of the canvas is red and white striped and contains a green fork with the tines facing to the right.

A painting with the upper half containing black stenciled letters spelling For on a cream background. The bottom half of the canvas is gray and contains a cream fork with the tines facing to the right.

A painting with a green upper half containing red stenciled letters spelling Eat. The bottom half of the canvas is white and contains a black fork with the tines facing to the left.

A painting with a circle on a black background. In the middle of the circle is a red star. The star is surrounded by a white ring containing the black numerals going clockwise from zero at the top though nine.

A painting with a circle on a black background. In the middle of the circle is the word UP, painted in yellow stenciled letters. The star is surrounded by a white ring containing the black numerals going clockwise from zero at the top though nine.

A painting with its title, Down, in red letters against a black ground in the bottom half. The upper half of the canvas is white, with the numerals three to seven appearing upside down in an arc pattern.

A gray painting with the word triangle painted in red letters across the bottom of the canvas. Above this is a red numeral three within a gray triangle within a red circle. surrounding the circle is a gray and white ring with the painting's title, "Tintinnabulation," in red letters.

Tintinnabulation

A diptych consisting of two square panels. The left panel contains a white star with USA painted in blue letters within a red decagon against a yellow ground. The right panel contains a red and white diagonally striped decagon against a yellow ground. Inside the decagon is a large blue numeral one, with the blue letters c and e to the left and the blue letters n and t to the right. Below the numeral one is the date 1963 in blue.

New Glory Penny

Painting dominated by a large circle against a black and white striped background. The outer ring of the circle contains the title, The American Stock Company, written in yellow stenciled letters. Inside this circle are four smaller ones, each containing a green dollar sign against a blue background, within a white ring containing tiny red dots. In between the four small circles are white arrows.

The American Stock Company

A painting with a black ground, dominated by a circular image resembling the front of a train. In the center of the painting a red circle holds a yellow number 25. This circle is within a gray circle with small black circles all around its edge. Wrapping around this circle is a black ring with the text "High Ball Redball Mannifest" painted in stenciled yellow letters and small gray circles around the text. A larger yellow circle sits between the words High and Ball

Highball on the Redball Manifest

A diamond shaped painting made up of four canvases, each individual diamond canvas contains a circle against a black ground. Each circle contains a red numeral four against diagonal black and white stripes, within a ring with text. The top ring alternates between the word EAT in yellow against a red ground, and the word EAT in red against a yellow ground. The ring in the right panel alternates between the word TILT in red against a yellow ground and the word JILT in yellow against a red ground. The bottom ring is red and contains the text "The American Dream." The ring in the red panel alternates between the word JUKE in red against a yellow ground, and the word JACK in yellow against a red ground.

The Beware-Danger American Dream #4

Ann x-format painting made up of five diamond shaped panels, each consisting of a black five against a star within a light gray pentagon within a black circle against a dark gray ground.

A cross shaped painting made up five panels, each with a dark gray ground and holding three yellow number fives in three sizes against a red star. Each panel has a black ring of text around the fives. The central ring has the text American Dream and the dates 1928 and 1963 in yellow. Each other ring contains a word painted in red which appears five times, in between each arm of the star. The word in the top panel is DIE, in the right panel it's EAT, in the lower panel HUG, and in the left panel ERR

The Demuth American Dream No. 5

A painting with a black ground and the title, The Figure 5, painted in white at the bottom of the canvas. Above the title is a circle with three yellow number fives of three differing sizes against a red star. The star is within a pentagon, and a word in gray stenciled letters between each arm of the star. The words are, clockwise from top left, HUG, DIE, ERR, USA, and EAT.

A diamond shaped painting dominated by a large circle containing three golden numeral fives agains a red star within a pentagon. Five words appear, one on each side of the pentagon. Starting with the bottom word and reading counter clockwise they are: USA, ERR, DIE, HUG, and EAT.

The Demuth Five

A diamond shaped painting consisting of a white circle against a black ground. Within this circle are three yellow number fives against a red star within a black pentagon.

The Small Diamond Demuth Five

A diamond shaped painting consisting of four diamond shaped panels, each with a yellow numeral four in a red circle. Each four faces a different direction.

Diamond painting with four yellow numbers, each in a circle and each in a polygon with the number of sides as the numeral it contains: clockwise from top these are a nine is in a blue nonagon, an eight in a red octagon, a seven in a green heptagon, and a six in a magenta heptagon

Four Numbers Summing 30

A painting with a red X against a black ground. On top of the X is a large blue circle containing four yellow circles each with a black peace sign. The work's title, "Yield Brother," appears in blue stenciled letters across the bottom of the canvas.

A diamond shaped painting consisting of a green circle against a light blue ground. Within the circle are four other circles, each red with a green band, surrounded by a dark blue ring with red text. The text in the four circles reads, starting at top and going clockwise, "Yield Sister," "Yield Father," "Yield Brother," and "Yield Mother."

Yield Brother II

A black diamond shaped painting containing four black circles with a red vertical band surrounded by a yellow ring containing black text and six small black stars. The text in each ring reads, starting a top and going clockwise, "Yield Sister," "Yield Father," "Yield Brother," and "Yield Mother."

The Black Yield Brother III

A painting with a blue ground and its title, Red Sails, in painted in red and yellow stenciled letters along the bottom of the work. Above the title is an orange circle with a yellow outline. Within the circle is a red and white sailboat.

A gray diptych; the first panel contains a circle with a portrait of the artist's mother, wearing a red cape and holding a blue purse, with one breast exposed. She stands next to a Model-T car with a yellow wheel. Below the circle is a the text A Mother Is a Mother. The second panel contains a circle with a portrait of the artist's father, in various shades of gray, barefoot and wearing a coat, next to a Model-T. The text below the circle reads "A Father Is a Father."

Mother and Father

A diamond shaped painting consisting of four panels, each containing a yellow circle with a dark red vertical band and a dark red ring with yellow text against a lighter red ground. The text reads, clockwise from top, "Yields Sister," "Yield Father," "Yield Brother," and "Yield Mother."

The Red Yield Brother IV

A diamond shaped canvas consisting of four panels, each containing a grisaille image of the Brooklyn Bridge within a circle, captured at different times of the day, against a dark gray ground. Each circle contains light gray text wrapping around the inner edge of the ring. The text reads “And we have seen night lifted in thy arms,” “Silver paces as though the sun took step of thee,” They cables breathe the North Atlantic still,” and “How could mere toil align thy choiring strings.”

The Brooklyn Bridge

A diamond shaped grisaille painting with a gray circle with a white outline in the center. The work's title, "Love Is God," is painted in white letters within the circle. Bands of different shapes gray, going from light to dark, emanate from the circle.

A black painting with ZERO painted in white letters at the bottom. Dominating the canvas is a golden yellow numeral zero within a black circle with a white outline.

A yellow and black x-format painting, made up of five panels, each with a circle divided in two, the top half yellow with USA painted in black, and the bottom black with a yellow word. The words are, clockwise from top left, "EAT,""DIE," "ERR," "HUG," and in the central panel "666."

USA 666 (The Sixth American Dream)

A diamond shaped painting with a large circle against an orange-red ground. The top half of the circle is yellow, with the text USA; each letter is three shades of gray, from lightest at top to darkest at bottom. The lower half of the circle is black, with the word fun, each letter consisting of a red, orange, and yellow stripes.

Four canvases, the smallest, 12 inches square, consists of a yellow numeral one against a black ground. The second panel is 24 inches square and consists of a yellow numeral two against a black ground; the third panel is 36 inches square with a yellow numeral three against a black ground, the last panel is 48 inches square with a yellow numeral four against a red ground.

Exploding Numbers

Diamond shape painting of white, silver and blue image of the Brooklyn Bridge within a darker blue circle against a gray ground