Robert Indiana (1928-2018) was a pre-eminent figure of American Pop art best known for his masterpiece, the iconic "LOVE".
Inspired by the mythology of the American dream, Indiana engaged with everyday objects, words, symbols, and commercial graphic designs (like logos), and quickly became associated with the Pop Art movement. Indiana's first solo show took place in 1962 at the Stable Gallery in New York, the same gallery that hosted Andy Warhol's first solo show.
Indiana's signature style was influenced by American road signs, advertising and the emerging genre of Hard-Edged painting. His oeuvre consists of bold, simple subjects including numbers, symbols, or capitalized short words (i.e. EAT, HUG, LOVE) executed in vivid primary colors.
"The Wall" was published on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The portfolio, titled "Mémoire de la liberté," consisted of 55 multiples and prints. Other notable artists in the collection were Sam Francis, David Hockney, Ellsworth Kelly, Sol LeWitt, Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Motherwell, and Robert Rauschenberg, among others. The first exhibition of this ambitious project took place at the Centre Pompidou in Paris.
In this work, Indiana is depicting the moment the Berlin wall was torn down. As the artists were tasked with commenting on the notion of Freedom, this (contemporary) event is a poignant allegory to have chosen. With carefully selected colours, he produces a punchy image, clearly conveying the events surrounding the wall with colour, dates, words, and imagery.
In 1988, the Berlin Wall stood as a symbol of the cold war, and a division of East and West Berlin. in 1989, the Wall fell, paving the way for unification. In 1990, the official dismantling of the Wall began. The arch in the upper section of the print shows the Brandenburg Gate, a symbol of peace and unity in Europe and in Berlin since the reunification of the city. It was also one of the first re-opened East/West border crossings after the fall.
Indiana was well-suited to contribute imagery to the UN's commemorative edition, as he used his artistic practice to address political and ethical issues around civil rights and peace.
Today Indiana's works can be found in the permanent collections of the most prestigious institutions around the world including The Whitney (NY), Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LA), Museum of Modern Art (NY), the Metropolitan Museum of Art (NY), Albright-Knox Gallery (Buffalo), and the Stedelijk Museum (Amsterdam) among many others.
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"The Wall"
USA, 1990
Color serigraph on wove paper
Signed, numbered "TP" (Trial Proof), and dated in pencil by the artist
27.25"H 21"W (image)
34.25"H 26.25"W (framed)
Very good condition
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