"The work I'm doing now, my Autoportraits, I regard as an extension of the Dream series – my own personal American Dream. In other words, they have become self-­‐portraits. I think of myself first of all as an American, then as an American painter painting an American theme. And this will continue." -­‐ Robert Indiana

Robert Indiana is the founder of Pop Art. His art has come to typify many of the developments of the Pop Art movement and of the creative culture in New York during the 1960s and 70s. His ability to transform stenciled typography, bold color, commercial layout, and a love and respect for all things American, has established him as one of the quintessential artists of the 20th century.

De Sarthe Gallery is pleased to exhibit, for the first time in Hong Kong, three major paintings by Robert Indiana titled ‘Decade Autoportrait’. Executed between 1972-­‐1977 these rare works are the largest from a series of ten paintings in three different sizes (24 x 24 inches/61 x 61 cm, 48 x 48 inches/122 x 122 cm and 72 x 72 inches/183 x 183 cm) which Indiana exhibited for the first time at the Galerie Denise René in New York in 1972. Each painting in the series follows a similar structure: a large “1” dominates the background and its extremities stretch from edge to edge. Similarly, a large circle is inscribed in the square of the canvas and within that circle a decagon inscribed with a five-­‐pointed star, reminiscent of the Texaco logo of the star inscribed within the circle.

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