Robert Indiana, The Golden Future of America, 1976 (Sheehan, 92)

Robert Indiana, The Golden Future of America, 1976 (Sheehan, 92)

Robert Indiana

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Robert Indiana

The Golden Future of America, 1976

Silkscreen on Arches paper 
Signed and dated in pencil, lower right; numbered 13/175, in pencil, lower left. Also bears printers blind stamp
Frame included
On its face, this Robert Indiana's silkscreen, based upon the eponymous painting "The Golden Future of America", is a patriotic celebration of Americana, done for the country's bicentennial year. But its looks are deceptive, as the work has a far more subversive meaning. In 2014, the Art Newspaper interviewed the artist who declared: “This one could have got me thrown into jail,” he says, pointing to The Golden Future of America, 1976, a painting with three eyes in the centre that stand for the letter “I” in CIA, FBI and IRS...." Robert Indiana invokes Benjamin Franklin as quoted, "In free governments the rulers are the servants and the people their superiors and sovereigns." The ultimate powers in a society, therefore, rest in the people themselves, and they should exercise those powers, either directly or through representatives, in every way they are competent and that is practicable. Robert Indiana’s “The Golden Future of America” exhibits the artist’s satirical view of the idea of the American Dream. The work was created in commemoration of America’s bicentennial and reflects America’s idea of the Golden Age. The artist has used Benjamin Franklin’s quotation “In free governments the rulers are servants and the people their superiors and sovereigns,” suggesting that the power should lie with the people. Through this work, Indiana is calling upon American society to assess its motivations. From an American Portrait 1776 - 1976. Portfolio published in honor of, and to celebrate the American Bicentennial.
Robert Indiana has developed his own formula for pop art combining sign letting with hard edge treatment in strong billboard colors. Many of his slogans, including his famous Love paintings and frequent use of the words die, kill, and hug, have been seen as a satirical challenge to the naïve optimism of the American dream. Similarly, “The Golden Future of America,” which was created in commemoration of America’s bicentennial, provides a satire on the impact the idea of a Golden Age has on both contemporary society and for the constructors of the U.S. constitution. As a result, the work can be perceived as a satire forcing the U.S. society to look at its underlying motivations, materialism, and vacant spirituality at a moment when the country is celebrating its birth. Signed and numbered from the edition of 175.
Published by: Transworld Art, Inc., Printed by: Simca Prints Artists, Inc., New York.
Catalogue Raisonne Reference: Sheehan, 92
Measurements:
Framed
30.5 inches vertical by 25 inches horizontal by 1.5 inches
Artwork (visible)
23.5 inches vertical by 17.5 inches
Provenance: Signed and dated in pencil, lower right; numbered from the edition of 175, in pencil, lower left. Also bears printers blind stamp.
 
 

 

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