ZERO 1966

Robert Indiana, who died in 2018, made this ZERO canvas. It belongs to a tradition of art that makes use of popular culture and everyday objects. Indiana was a key figure in the Pop Art movement that questioned the divide between commercial culture and fine art in post-war America. The bold lettering and bright colors are reminiscent of advertising signs, a deliberate choice that reflected the pervasive influence of mass media in American society. The word "ZERO" evokes a sense of nothingness or a clean slate. It might be a reaction against the anxieties of the Cold War era, or an embrace of a minimalist aesthetic. To fully understand Indiana's work, we need to research the cultural and political context in which he was working. Art isn't made in a vacuum and as art historians we see it as part of its historical moment.