THE ISOLATION ARTIST

A sad and thorny tale of lawyers, egos, and art.

Those who follow the machinations of the art world know that the estate of Robert Indiana (1928-2018) has settled its ongoing lawsuit with the artist’s former caretaker. If you want a deeper dive into the story, you’re in luck. Portland Press Herald and Maine Sunday Telegram journalist Keyes, who logged many hours of interview time with Indiana before the artist’s death at the age of 89, chronicles the complicated maneuverings behind the dispute. Indiana, best known as the man behind the famous LOVE sculpture—which inspired the HOPE sculpture that became a symbol of Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign—was reclusive in his later years. He spent most of his time holed up in Vinalhaven, Maine, in a sprawling building called the Star of Hope (“a dilapidated Victorian structure built for gatherings of men”), as various parties tried to claw out a piece of him. The irony, of course, is that all this talk of love and hope presaged some truly nasty legal grappling over Indiana’s work and legacy. “It’s a tragedy of Shakespearean mechanizations,” writes Keyes, “involving a failing king, full of rage, who rarely emerged from his castle; the plotting manipulative knights who fought over his crown and jewels; and the loyal and innocent pawns on either side of a widening moat filled with chaos and acrimony.” The author has a firm grasp of his material, so much so that the details—who said what when, which agreements were brokered and violated, etc.—may overwhelm general readers. This is a book that grinds out its facts and its disputes methodically, and though richly detailed, it seems intended for readers with some knowledge of the case rather than someone curious about a story they’ve not heard before.

A labored reconstruction of the fight for an artist’s legacy that will appeal to certain modern art devotees.