“ I’ve always been fascinated by numbers. Before I was seventeen years old, I had lived in twenty-one diferent houses. In my mind, each of those houses had a number.” ROBERT INDIANA

FIVE, from the series NUMBERS,unites form and content in an alluring and accessible style that epitomizes thework of Robert Indiana. The monumental scale, simple typographic form, andallegorical color palette along with the personal and collective history of thenumber itself contribute to an immediately recognizable sculpture withsubstance beneath its gleaming surfaces.Indiana’s massive sculptures have become, and will forever remain anindelible component of American post-war aesthetics.

Indiana’s fascination with the quotidian imagery prevalent in America’s visualculture led the artist to explore alternative interpretations of thesecommercial designs. Having alreadyutilized numerical imagery and titles in his earlier assemblages, Indiana wasfurther inspired by the robust Arabic numerals on an old printer’s calendar foundin his Coenties Slip loft. Adapting these prosaic figures into his practicedirectly contributed to the larger-than-life series, NUMBERS, of which Five isa prime example. Imbued with both a personal and collective history, thenumerals function both as an immediately recognizable image and also as anallusion to the progression of human life. Accordingly, Indiana varied thecolor palette of each work to reflect this symbolic progression, adding yetanother layer to this substantial work. Aligningthe numbers “1” through “0” from birth through to death, five occupies thepre-prime stage, and here Indiana colors the form with a bright, white facewhile the contours are treated with a vibrant blue. His characteristic blending of painting andsculpture coupled with the symbolic, formal, and allegorical aspect of thenumbers elevates Five from a simple
numeral to a captivating and powerful work, indicative of transition and new beginnings.