A painting with a red ground dominated by a circle surrounded by a large yellow right with the red text "on the mountains of the prairie Gitche Manito the mighty called the tribes of men together." Inside the circle are seven smaller circles, each containing an orange star, and surrounded by yellow rings with the names of different Native American tribes.

Though he referred to himself simply as an ‘American painter of signs’, the man born Robert Clark in the state of Indiana in 1928 had a knack for reinvention. His most famous ‘sign’, a rubbing of the word ‘LOVE’ in bold red type with neutral blue and green filling the space between the letters (1964), is a perfect example, asserting the word’s power even as it deconstructs it. Though the work’s ubiquity in subsequent years has threatened to diminish its effect, Indiana made countless other pieces combining words and images in ways that make us think twice about the signs and symbols that surround us. ‘Robert Indiana: The American Dream’, an exhibition at Pace Gallery (9 May–15 August), collects paintings and sculptures by the artist ranging from the 1960s to the 2010s.

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A painting dominated by a large circle against a ground of black and white vertical stripes. The circle is red with four smaller blue circles containing a green dollar sign, and white arrows between the four smaller circles. It is surrounded by a black ring with yellow text reading "The American Stock Company."

The American Stock Company, 1963

The shows to see in and around New York this month

Apollo

May 6, 2025

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