67

Robert Indiana

1928-2018

Coenties Slip Gingko. 1957.

Oil on linen canvas
Signed, titled, dated and inscribed in ink, on the stretcher.
8 x 6 in. (20.3 x 15.2 cm.)

  • Provenance: Gift from the artist.
    Private collection, New York.

    The ginkgo motif in Coenties Slip refers to the well referenced leaf in the works of Robert Indiana, and his relation to his time spent living and working in Coenties Slip in the mid-20th century. Inspired by the ginkgo trees in Jeannette Park, which were visible from Indiana's loft in Coenties Slip, he incorporated the distinctive double ginkgo leaf design into various artworks, including paintings like The Sweet Mystery and sculptures like Slip. For Indiana, the double ginkgo leaf symbolized his relationship with artist Ellsworth Kelly, with whom he shared proximity and companionship at Coenties Slip. The ginkgo leaf design was a key element in Indiana's development of his distinctive hard-edge style, characterized by bold, geometric shapes and colors.

    Robert Indiana lived and worked in Coenties Slip, a former shipping slip, in the late 1950s after moving to New York City and being recommended by his partner and colleague Ellsworth Kelly. A neighborhood in transition, became a creative haven for artists like Kelly, Indiana, Agnes Martin, James Rosenquist, and Jack Youngerman.
  • Condition:
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