Love

A couple of clear, brisk days sent me exploring. As I returned home with several hundred images, mostly of the public art of the city, I realized that this vast array is going to occupy much of this blog.

Winter is a time when the colors of the world are reduced to variations of brown, gray, white, and often drab. So I begin with the dash of color provided by Robert Indiana's "LOVE" (1976), located in Kennedy Plaza, the "city" end of Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

"Love" - Robert Indiana - painted aluminum

Indiana loaned his "LOVE" image to the city in 1976. After two year, when the city could not decide to purchase the sculpture, it was removed to New York City. An immediate public uproar ensued. A local businessman and chairman of the Philadelphia Art Commission purchased the work and donated it to the city. It was returned to Kennedy Plaza.

View from Kennedy Plaza up the Parkway to the Museum of Art

One only needs to watch a short time to see how the work attracts people.

A picture for Valentine's Day - or any day.

The reverse of "LOVE" is still "LOVE."

Someone said something like, "Consistency is the refuge of small minds." I began my recent discoveries with "LOVE" because it has bold colors to offset the drabs of winter. But that does not constrain me from exploring the "black and white" of "LOVE."

"LOVE" in black and white

So many shades and nuances ... in love ... in Valentine's Day.