Four Numbers Summing Thirty
Maker and role
Artist: Robert Indiana, American, 1928-2018
Year
1963
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Object detail
Media/Materials
Oil on canvas
Measurements
34 x 34in (86.4 x 86.4cm)
Credit line
Gift of Robert L. B. Tobin
Accession number
1999.95
Object type
Department
Location
Further information
In Four Numbers Summing Thirty, the overall composition is driven by numerical logic. Each shape is defined by the number it contains; the hexagon, for example contains the number 6, and the nonagon a number 9. Robert Indiana’s guiding logic extends to the number selection, as all consecutive numbers from 6 to 9 equal 30.
As self-referential as the painting may be, the style of each painted number is rooted in the urban environment. Bright colors reflect city lights and high-key color ads, and the style of each number recalls stenciled numbers on buildings and sidewalks.
As self-referential as the painting may be, the style of each painted number is rooted in the urban environment. Bright colors reflect city lights and high-key color ads, and the style of each number recalls stenciled numbers on buildings and sidewalks.
Copyright
© Morgan Art Foundation/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Documentation
Robert Indiana: A Sculpture Retrospective; 2018; p. 179; pl. 39
Signature & date
Stenciled on verso: Brooks Memphis 4
Subject period
Docent information sheet
V:\Object Documentation\Paintings\1999.95 Indiana\Robert Indiana Sculpture Retrospective 2018.pdf
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