Love, Robert Indiana, Aluminum, 1973

BYU students have experienced the "LOVE" since the 1970s. Cast in 1973 and purchased by BYU in 1976, the "LOVE" has been displayed in the Harris Fine Arts Center, the Museum of Art sculpture garden and now in the museum's newest exhibit, "American Dreams."

Robert Indiana designed the sculpture in 1964, a year after President Kennedy was assassinated and racial tensions began to rise. At that time the country embraced the symbol and meaning of the artwork.

The sculpture also reflects the many signs that dot the American landscape. Its industrial color and numerous reproductions comment on America as a consumer culture. Over the years it has morphed into a cultural icon, appearing on such everyday items as T-shirts, mugs, key rings and postal stamps.

In the museum exhibit, the sculpture represents contradictory aspects of American identity as it references not only American consumerism, but also the popularity of the word "love" in the 1960s youth movement. At the same time, the italicized "O" leaning away from the "L" and threatening to role off the "VE" acknowledges the fragility of human love.

The Museum of Art's permanent collection of more than 17,000 objects has a special emphasis on American art, and the "American Dreams" exhibit highlights this permanent collection through paintings, photography, prints and sculpture.

(This is part of a bi-weekly series featuring a piece from the Museum of Art.)

Copyright Brigham Young University 13 Feb 2006