A New York jury on Thursday ruled in favor of the late renowned visual artist Robert Indiana’s business partner in a case against a publisher who was found to have made unauthorized reproductions of Indiana’s works.
The ruling came in a civil suit filed by the Morgan Art Foundation against Michaeal McKenzie shortly after Indiana’s death at his Vinalhaven home in 2018, and is part of a struggle over the artist’s lucrative legacy that has been complicated by allegations that he was manipulated in his declining years.
The Morgan Art Foundation’s lawsuit centered on reproductions made by McKenzie of works by the late artist and Vinalhaven resident, including his famous “LOVE” pieces, featuring the letters stacked like colorful blocks, which have been reproduced as public sculptures, on postage stamps and as the pop-art anchor for an endless array of branded gifts.
The jury found that McKenzie should pay Morgan Art Foundation damages totalling $102.2 million, with most of that coming from a claim that McKenzie is liable for tortious interference in a pair of 1999 contracts between Indiana and the foundation.
An attorney for McKenzie speaking to the New York Times called the judgment an “astronomical figure” and said McKenzie might pursue an appeal.
