Robert Longo Photography
American, b. 1953
The drawings by artist Robert Longo are a sensory experience: They are monumental, detailed and hard-hitting in their subject matter, which often includes critiques of power, social unrest and consumer capitalism.
Longo has spent his career exploring mediums as varied as the Photorealistic charcoal drawings for which he is best known and film direction. In all of his work, however, he draws inspiration from his deep background in sculpture. “I always think that drawing is a sculptural process. I always feel like I’m carving the image out rather than painting the image. I’m carving it out with erasers and tools like that,” he once said.
The Long Island, New York, native attended high school with a man who was shot at Kent State University while protesting the U.S. invasion of Cambodia during the Vietnam War in 1970, and the famous image of this man lying dead on the ground influenced Longo so deeply that he began to consider all art political. Longo attended Buffalo State College, where he met and became friends with artist Cindy Sherman, and later the two moved to New York City together.
Longo’s revered work includes his charcoal and graphite “Men in the Cities” drawings. The Photorealist series, which debuted at Metro Pictures gallery in Manhattan in 1981, depicted people in formal business clothing. Posing in suspended animation in unusual contortions, the figures take on a choreographic quality and represent the career-minded “yuppies” of the era.
“Men in the Cities” was inspired by punk rock music and decades later has been cited as a visual reference for the opening sequence of the popular television drama Mad Men. The work was among the most recognizable and iconic of the Pictures Generation — the movement by artists who came of age in the 1970s and were disillusioned by the social and political conditions of the time. In 2014, Longo created 12 charcoal drawings for a series titled “Gang of Cosmos,” which were black-and-white depictions of famous Abstract Expressionist works by artists like Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning and Lee Krasner.
Through his provocative, detailed and highly precise prints, drawings, photography and sculpture, Longo continues to challenge traditional sources of power and authority.
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Artist: Robert Longo
TILLMAN
By Robert Longo
Located in Aventura, FL
Lithograph on on Arches wove paper from Men in the Cities portfolio. Hand signed and numbered by Robert Longo. Published by Wolfryd-Selway Fine Art, New York, with their blindstamp....
Category
2010s Pop Art Robert Longo Photography
Materials
Paper, Lithograph
Robert Longo, Untitled (Men in the Cities) - Set of 2 Photographs, Signed
By Robert Longo
Located in Hamburg, DE
Robert Longo (American, born 1953)
Untitled (Men in the Cities), 1976/2009
Medium: Set of two gelatin silver prints
Dimensions: each 50.8 x 40.64 cm (20 x 16 in); overall 50.8 x 81.2...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Robert Longo Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
RUSSIAN BOMB (SEMIPALATINSK)
By Robert Longo
Located in Aventura, FL
Hand signed, dated and numbered by the artist. Published by Hatje Cantz Verlag, Berlin. Image: 21.75 x 15.75 in. Sheet: 23.875 x 17.875 in. Frame: 32.5 x 26.5 in. Artwork is in exce...
Category
2010s Pop Art Robert Longo Photography
Materials
Digital, Paper
Eric
By Robert Longo
Located in New York, NY
Dancer, actor, musician and model, Eric Barsness was 24 years old when Robert Longo created this image for his infamous, Men in the Cities portfolio. A highly original color chromog...
Category
20th Century Robert Longo Photography
Materials
C Print
Untitled (Janet)
By Robert Longo
Located in New York, NY
An iconic image from Robert Longo’s, Men in the Cities series, this color print was created by the artist in 2016, is hand-signed, dated and numbered in black ink, measuring 18 x 14...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Robert Longo Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment
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Robert Longo photography for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a wide variety of authentic Robert Longo photography available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Robert Longo in paper, archival pigment print, c print and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 21st century and contemporary and is mostly associated with the Pop Art style. Not every interior allows for large Robert Longo photography, so small editions measuring 8 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Andrew Unangst, Michael Childers, and Keith Haring. Robert Longo photography prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $12,500 and tops out at $25,540, while the average work can sell for $14,000.
Artists Similar to Robert Longo
Questions About Robert Longo Photography
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Robert Longo uses cold roll paper. The artist himself explained in an interview that the paper he prefers is not handmade, instead it is machine-made, archival paper. Longo is best known for his paintings that capture realistic moments and express the inner strength of his subjects. Shop a selection of Longo pieces from some of the world’s top art dealers on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022With roots in sculpture, contemporary artist Robert Longo is best known for his charcoal and graphite drawings, which showcased men and women in mid-movement. You can shop a selection of Robert Longo pieces from some of the world’s top dealers on 1stDibs.