Wisconsin sculpture credited to 'LOVE' artist is big 'BRAT'

One of the last pieces attributed to the late Robert Indiana has taken its place outside Johnsonville sausage company's headquarters in Wisconsin.

The 20-foot-tall (6.1-meter) stacked red letters spell "BRAT," short for "bratwurst." The sculpture is a take on Indiana's enduring pop art "LOVE" series, with its "LO" stacked on top of the "VE." Indiana died earlier this year at age 89.

The Journal Sentinel reports that despite questions raised about artwork attributed to Indiana near the end of his life, Johnsonville's owners are confident in the sculpture's authenticity. A federal lawsuit alleges that a caregiver and art publisher took advantage of Indiana, created forgeries under his name and sold them to unsuspecting collectors.

The Johnsonville sculpture bears a copyright mark and the artist's name.

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Information from: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, http://www.jsonline.com