Robert Indiana: I’ve always wanted my paintings to be as visually strong as possible, Arthur, I stick to primary colors. I use very, very few mixed colors and only when absolutely necessary. My paintings are usually, well I feel they’re fairly bold and generally of a simple design, the circle being the dominating motif, and this I should say is a conscious obsession and that is to make a painting that is visually strong.
Arthur Carr: By means predominantly of color?
Indiana: Color and form. I mean just the alphabet itself—these are very fascinating forms. They’re not very complicated ones and they’re immediately recognizable ones. They have a clear, shall we say, communication to anyone who is literate.
Excerpt from Arthur C. Carr “The Reminiscences of Robert Indiana.” New York, November 1965. Arthur C. Carr papers; Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Library.
