Overview
- A Manhattan federal jury found publisher Michael McKenzie made and sold unauthorized and altered Robert Indiana works and ordered $102.2 million in damages to the Morgan Art Foundation.
- Jurors said Morgan’s rights were infringed with LOVE prints and sculptures, the stacked block-letter word with a tilted O, and with works including The Ninth American Dream (2001), USA FUN (1965), and BRAT, a sausage-themed sculpture sold in Wisconsin.
- McKenzie’s lawyer said he is weighing an appeal, which could extend the legal fight before any payout or final resolution.
- The decision caps an eight-year dispute that began in 2018 with claims that Indiana was isolated and exploited near the end of his life, followed by related suits and 2021 settlements involving the estate’s executor and caretaker.
- Morgan and allied groups are pressing ahead on legacy work, partnering with Indiana’s Star of Hope foundation and the Robert Indiana Legacy Initiative, with Pace Gallery handling global representation and plans to open the artist’s Maine home to the public.