LOVE - Philadelphia, PA
N 39° 57.249 W 075° 09.928
18S E 485866 N 4422681
One of the most recognizable works of art can be found here, a replica of the original. This is one sight of many where replicas can be found. It is almost as famous as the Liberty Bell! LOVE is a sculpture by American artist Robert Indiana.
Waymark Code: WM9FZM
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Date Posted: 08/15/2010
Views: 23
I love this park and the sculpture. The word LOVE is done in a square of sorts, big giant letters, the L & O on top and the other letters underneath. The most important part of this is the O which is turned sort of on its side but not quite. This is what gives the sculpture its distinction. My friends @ Wikipedia tell me the image was originally designed as a Christmas card for the Museum of Modern Art in 1964, and first exhibited as a sculpture in New York City in 1970. This original sculpture is made of COR-TEN steel and has been on exhibit at the Indianapolis Museum of Art since 1975. Thanks WIki!
The LOVE design has been redone in different versions and all sorts of other colors. I have seen them in pictures all over the world. I like ours the best of course because it is right around the corner. Here is something a lot of folks do not know. This iconic statue was placed here in commemoration of the bicentennial of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
The LOVE sculpture is where the JFK plaza gets it better known name, LOVE park. Most Americans recognize this famous sculpture which was a stamp in the 70s and has remained a symbol of Center City Philadelphia. Thousands of people each week, in the warm months, post to have their picture taken with this iconic work of art. Originally created by artist Robert Indiana, the LOVE sculpture is now the subject of many Philadelphia souvenirs and marketing campaigns for the city. Beyond the sculpture, LOVE Park has both romantic and controversial connotations for many from the area.
Parking is available curbside at meters. I would avoid the garages unless you got forty dollars to throw away.
The following remarks comes from the Smithsonian inventory page: The SOS! survey and the Bach publication both note that the base medium is stainless steel, but earlier documentation notes that the base is made of wood. The LOVE design was first created as a painting in 1964 and soon became a popular image for jewelry, posters, plates, and postage stamps. The sculpture was first installed at John F. Kennedy Plaza on an extended loan for two years while the artist's New York gallery tried to sell it to the city of Philadelphia. When the gallery had a possible buyer in New York, it removed the sculpture and sent it back up to New York. Public outcry in Philadelphia over the missing sculpture was so great that a local businessman, F. Eugene Dixon, purchased the sculpture and donated it to the city. It was then reinstalled in John F. Kennedy Plaza.
And of course the description as well Four red-painted, block letters arranged two by two in a square to spell the word LOVE. The letters "L" and "O" are on the top and the letters "V" and "E" are on the bottom. The sculpture rests on a trapezoid-shaped base which is open in the middle.