Did Robert Indiana’s Assistant Exploit And/Or Steal From Him? Two Legal Cases Aim To Answer

“In May the Morgan Art Foundation (MAF), Indiana’s representative since the 1990s and the owner of the artist’s famous Love trademark, filed a lawsuit in New York against the artist’s long-time assistant, Jamie Thomas, and an art publisher, Michael McKenzie. MAF says the pair exploited Indiana towards the end of his life, producing dubious works in his name and isolating him from friends. … Meanwhile, the lawyer representing Indiana’s estate — estimated to be worth $50m — is seeking documents to determine the extent of the artist’s assets, based on ‘reasonable suspicion’ that some ‘may have been conveyed away or otherwise misappropriated or sold without due compensation’.”