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Robert Indiana
Untitled homage to Ellsworth Kelly, 1950s watercolor signed by Robert Indiana

1959

$10,000
£7,582.52
€8,755.74
CA$14,030.61
A$15,632.18
CHF 8,244.47
MX$189,514.98
NOK 104,881.50
SEK 97,703.76
DKK 65,397.30

About the Item

Robert Indiana Untitled homage to Ellsworth Kelly (Acquired from the Estate of Robert Indiana), 1959 Watercolor and pencil on Plover Bond paper his is an original, hand signed watercolor on paper painting by Robert Indiana from an important era in the artist's early career. It had been in the artist's personal collection for more than half a century, until it was sold from the Estate Collection by Robert Indiana's former studio assistant. This work is signed and dated 1959. The influence of Ellsworth Kelly on Robert Indiana at this time is unmistakable: In fact, in 1959, Robert Indiana and Ellsworth Kelly were in a romantic relationship, which was described as "on-again, off-again". They had met in 1956 and were living and working in the Coenties Slip area of lower Manhattan, a community of artists that also included Agnes Martin and Jack Youngerman. Later on, Robert Indiana would acknowledge that he resented being called a Pop artist, as he aligned himself much more with the hard edge and Minimalist aesthetic of his former lover Ellsworth Kelly. The similarity between Robert Indiana's flower here, and Ellsworth Kelly's flowers is obvious, as this is a veritable homage to his lover. Again, the present work is a scarcem, original, unique Robert Indiana work from the late 1950s; Beyond LOVE (to borrow the title of his Guggenheim retrospective), and before LOVE would make him a household name. Robert Indiana works from this era are rarely seen on the marketplace, especially not with such fine provenance. This work is elegantly floated and framed in a museum quality handmade wood frame under UV plexiglass. Measurements: Framed: 18 inches vertical by 15.5 horizontal by 1.5 inches Watercolor: 11 inches vertical by 8.5 inches ROBERT INDIANA BIOGRAPHY One of the preeminent figures in American art since the 1960s, Robert Indiana played a central role in the development of assemblage art, hard-edge painting, and Pop art. Indiana, a self proclaimed “American painter of signs,” created a highly original body of work that explores American identity, personal history, and the power of abstraction and language, establishing an important legacy that resonates in the work of many contemporary artists who make the written word a central element of their oeuvre. Robert Indiana was born Robert Clark in New Castle, Indiana on September 13, 1928. Adopted as an infant, he spent his childhood moving frequently throughout his namesake state. His artistic talent was evident at an early age, and its recognition by a first grade teacher encouraged his decision to become an artist. In 1942, Indiana moved to Indianapolis in order to attend Arsenal Technical High School, known for its strong arts curriculum. After graduating he spent three years in the U.S. Air Force and then studied at the Art Institute of Chicago, the Skowhegan School of Sculpture and Painting in Maine, and the Edinburgh College of Art in Scotland. In 1956, two years after moving to New York, Indiana met Ellsworth Kelly, and upon his recommendation took up residence in Coenties Slip, once a major port on the southeast tip of Manhattan. There he joined a community of artists that would come to include Kelly, Agnes Martin, James Rosenquist, and Jack Youngerman. The environment of the Slip had a profound impact on Indiana’s work, and his early paintings include a series of hard-edge double ginkgo leaves inspired by the trees which grew in nearby Jeannette Park. He also incorporated the ginkgo form into his nineteen-foot mural Stavrosis (1958), a crucifixion pieced together from forty-four sheets of paper that he found in his loft. It was upon completion of this work that Indiana adopted the name of his native state as his own. Indiana, like some of his fellow artists, scavenged the area’s abandoned warehouses for materials, creating sculptural assemblages from old wooden beams, rusted metal wheels, and other remnants of the shipping trade that had thrived in Coenties Slip. While he created hanging works such as Jeanne d’Arc (1960–62) and Wall of China (1960–61), the majority were freestanding constructions which Indiana called “herms” after the sculptures that served as boundary markers at crossroads in ancient Greece and Rome. The discovery of nineteenth-century brass stencils led to the incorporation of brightly colored numbers and short emotionally charged words into these sculptures as well as canvases, and became the basis of his new painterly vocabulary. -Courtesy PACE Gallery
  • Creator:
    Robert Indiana (1928 - 2018, American)
  • Creation Year:
    1959
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 11 in (27.94 cm)Width: 8.5 in (21.59 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
    Excellent original condition; ships framed.
  • Gallery Location:
    New York, NY
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU1745216745842

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ROBERT INDIANA Hope Wall, 2010 Silkscreen on wove paper 24 × 25 inches Edition IV/IV (aside from the regular edition of 33) Hand signed, numbered IV/IV and dated on lower front Unframed Robert Indiana created Hope Wall, or Wall of Hope in support of future president Barack Obama in 2008, and the print was published in 2010. This is an extremely rare Artist's Proof - one of only four in the world. It is pencil signed, dated and numbered IV of IV on the recto. The regular edition is only 33. Extremely scarce. This print has appeared on the market fewer than a handful of times over the past decade. “I’d like to cover the world with hope,” said Robert Indiana, the artist whose iconic “LOVE” series became a global symbol of unity during the turmoil of the 1960s. In 2008, Indiana felt the world was ready for a new message, and designed “HOPE” for Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. “I wanted to help name and empower the next generation and I felt that HOPE encompassed the needs of our time,” he said. With its forward-leaning O, “HOPE” symbolizes perseverance, and pushing ahead toward a brighter future. To coincide with the artist’s 86th birthday, the first annual “International Hope Day” launched on September 13, 2014 and included the public display of Indiana’s “HOPE” sculptures...
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