French Atomic Bomb
Robert Indiana
American, 1928–2018
1959-60
A painted wooden beam topped with a black metal wheel and painted markings, turned by Robert Indiana into a spare, emblematic object that wryly invokes the atomic age and national signage.
You first see the large black circular ‘target’ set against a gessoed upper block and a vivid red stripe, while the weathered wood, stepped top, and stenciled white blocks read like a totemic signpost or crude schematic.
An early work in which Indiana translated Pop’s graphic language into sculptural signs, fusing found materials and pictorial shorthand to confront Cold War anxieties and the politics of symbol and identity.
Medium
Acrylic gesso on wood beam with metal element and metal wheel
Dimensions
38 5/8 x 11 5/8 x 4 7/8" (98 x 29.5 x 12.3 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
Gift of Arne Ekstrom
Accession
1127.1964
Palette
Art Terms
Exhibitions
