Indiana painted a series of small Yield Brother canvases in the 1960s which he dedicated and gifted to friends. Yield Brother Bill was painted for the photographer William John Kennedy. Indiana and Kennedy met in late 1962 at the opening of Indiana's first solo show at the Stable Gallery. [1] Kennedy began photographing Indiana in his studio, and Indiana connected Kennedy with Andy Warhol at the Americans 1963 opening at the Museum of Modern Art, New York. The photographer captured many images of the two artists, together and alone, in their studios, posing with works, and at the openings of New York exhibitions.
[1] Interview with Marie Kennedy, Guardian, September 3, 2022