Robert Indiana, Artist Known For LOVE Sculpture, Dies At 89
Follow CBSPHILLY Facebook | Twitter
PHILADELPHIA (CBS/AP) -- The man responsible for one of Philadelphia's most iconic sites has died at the age of 89.
Artist Robert Indiana died at his home in Maine.
Indiana is best known for the famous "LOVE sculpture" that is the centerpiece of Love Park here in Philadelphia.
That sculpture was recently returned to the park after being restored and repainted to its original colors.
Indiana died on Saturday from respiratory failure at his Victorian home in a converted Odd Fellows hall, a fraternal order lodge, where he had lived for years on Vinalhaven Island, said James Brannan, his attorney.
Friends had expressed concern for his well-being because the reclusive artist had not been heard from for some time. A lawsuit filed in New York City the day before his death suggested he was purposefully isolated by his caretakers.
Brannan declined to comment on the situation.
The artist's "LOVE" sculpture, in which the "L'' and a leaning "O'' sit atop the "V'' and the "E," is instantly recognizable worldwide. But he has created other works as well, and fashioned a "HOPE" design, similar to "LOVE," in honor of former President Barack Obama.
"In some ways he was perhaps seen as the proverbial one-hit wonder because 'LOVE' was so immensely iconic and immensely huge in pop culture. For better or for worse, it overshadowed some of his other contributions," said Dan Mills, the director at Bates College Museum of Art in Lewiston, Maine.
(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
