Robert Indiana
American, 1928-2018
Robert Indiana (American, 1928–2018). Star, 1962. Oil and gesso on wood, iron wheels, 76 x 18 x 13 inches (193 x 45.7 x 33 cm). Collection Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, New York; Gift of Seymour H. Knox, Jr., 1963 (K1963:9). © Morgan Art Foundation Ltd / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Star, 1960-1962
Artwork Details
Currently on View
Materials
gesso, oil, and iron-and-wooden wheels on wood
Measurements
overall: 76 x 18 x 13 inches (193.04 x 45.72 x 33.02 cm)
Collection Buffalo AKG Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Seymour H. Knox, Jr., 1963
Accession ID
K1963:9
Star is among Robert Indiana’s earliest assemblages, or sculptures made using found materials. The area near Indiana’s home and studio on Coenties Slip was well past its heyday as a vibrant port when Indiana moved there in 1957, and the demolition of many of the neighborhood’s disused warehouses provided fruitful grounds for scavenging. One of his most significant finds was a set of die-cut, brass stencils, which he would go on to use to paint numbers, letters, and other personally significant symbols on his repurposed beams. Stars feature prominently in Indiana’s work across the decades, and over time, the star became a personal symbol of the artist.
Label from Robert Indiana: A Sculpture Retrospective, June 16–September 23, 2018
