Love and the American dream

the long version

Robert Indiana's works all speak to the vital forces that have shaped American culture in the last half of the 20th century. The American Dream is the cornerstone of Indiana's mature work. It was the theme of his first major painting, sold to the Museum of Modern Art in 1961, as well as an ongoing series. Indiana also created one of the most widely recognized works of art in the world, Love. Much of Indiana's important contribution to American art has been overshadowed by the proliferation, pirating, and mass production of works bearing the image of Love. Daniel E. O'Leary discusses the artist's development through an examination of his journal/sketchbooks from 1958-1963; Susan Elizabeth Ryan investigates Indiana's painting Love, its origins and impact on the artist's career; and Aprile Gallant contributes an essay on Indiana's preoccupation with the idea of the American Dream.