Robert Indiana

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Too easily pigeonholed as a pop artist, painter/sculptor/printmaker Indiana transforms the word, the numeral, the graphic sign into images that flash instantaneous messages about our isolation, fears and longings. Most often associated with his ``LOVE'' postage stamp and the enigmatic aluminum sculptures related to it, the Hoosier-born artist masks his deadly serious intent behind a flippant irony. Described as the first monograph on Indiana, this bountifully illustrated survey ranges from the early wooden columns (``herms'') with words inscribed on them to the colorful, knife-sharp silhouettes he created for the set of the Virgil Thomson-Gertrude Stein opera The Mother of Us All. Weinhardt, a former museum curator, brilliantly demonstrates how this seemingly aloof art touches our lives. One major caveat: the text is set entirely in capital letters, making reading difficult. (Nov.)

Library Journal

Indiana (the surname is taken from the artist's native state) is best known for his ``Love'' designs, which adorn galleries and other public places. This is an eye-catching survey of Indiana's multimedia designs. The pop culture roots of the self-described ``people's painter'' are emphasized (road signs, pinball machines, the concept of an ``American Dream''). Indiana's place among contemporary artists like Warhol, Lichtenstein, and Oldenburg is given rather superficial treatment. In general, the book has the uncritical tone of an exhibit catalog, and the text is pretentious (for which the artist, liberally quoted throughout, bears some responsibility). The illustrations are attractive, but don't justify purchase of the book. Not a necessary addition for most American art collections.-- Stephen Rees, Bucks Cty. Free Lib., Levittown, Pa.