Numbers 1-9 (1) 1983

Robert Indiana made 'Numbers 1-9 (1)' without a date, with blocks of flat color. Here, the surface isn’t fussy; it’s all about the color doing the work, making space hum. The hard edges give way to feeling. These are not subtle hues, but that’s okay; they don’t need to be. What’s so cool about Indiana is how he makes the most basic forms sing, like simple numbers. You’d think it would be boring, right? Nope. Think of it like talking – you don’t need fancy words to say something profound. It's like Ellsworth Kelly's shapes meet a roadside sign. The way he crops the image makes me think he was looking closely at everyday life. Like, what can we see in the mundane if we just pay attention? It’s a good reminder that art’s not always about complexity; sometimes, it’s about seeing what’s already there.