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Robert Longo

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.

Find original Robert Longo art on 1stDibs.

Average Sold Price
$803
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Robert Longo Vinyl Record Art (Robert Longo moon)
By Robert Longo
Located in NEW YORK, NY
Robert Longo (untitled) Moon In Shadow record art: Off-set print on vinyl record. 2007. 12 inches in diameter. Excellent Condition. Un...
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Robert Longo

Materials

Lithograph, Offset

A Single Frame - From the “Mnemonic Pictures Folio” - Photolithograph by R.Longo
By Robert Longo
Located in Roma, IT
A Single Frame - From the “Mnemonic Pictures Folio” is an original photo-lithograph realized by Robert Longo in 1995. Signed with initials and dated in pencil lower right, inscribed ...
Category

1990s Contemporary Robert Longo

Materials

Lithograph

Talking Heads, Lithograph by Robert Longo
By Robert Longo
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Robert Longo Title: The Entertainer Year: 1986 Medium: Lithograph, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 85 Size: 30 x 22 inches (76 x 56 cm)
Category

1980s Pop Art Robert Longo

Materials

Lithograph

Essentials
By Robert Longo
Located in Pembroke Pines, FL
Robert Longo "Essentials" 2009 Pigment Print 174.4 × 32 cm (68.7 × 12.6 in) Signed and numbered Edition 59/75 In mint condition Certificate of Authenticity included The present artwo...
Category

Early 2000s Pop Art Robert Longo

Materials

Digital Pigment

  • Essentials
  • Essentials
  • Essentials
  • Essentials
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H 68.7 in W 12.6 in D 2 in
Forest of Doxa - Contemporary, 21st Century, Pigment Print, Limited Edition
By Robert Longo
Located in Zug, CH
Robert Longo, Forest of Doxa Contemporary, 21st Century, Pigment Print, Limited Edition Pigment print Edition of 25 93,4 x 151,7 cm (36.7 x 59.7 in.) Signed and numbered In mint cond...
Category

2010s Contemporary Robert Longo

Materials

Pigment

Essentials - Contemporary, 21st Century, Pigment Print, Limited Edition
By Robert Longo
Located in Zug, CH
Robert Longo, Essentials Contemporary, 21st Century, Pigment Print, Limited Edition Pigment print Edition of 75 174,4 x 32 cm (68.6 x 12.5 in.) Signed and numbered, accompanied by Ce...
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Robert Longo

Materials

Pigment

Horsehead Nebula - Contemporary, 21st Century, Pigment Print, Limited Edition
By Robert Longo
Located in Zug, CH
Robert Longo, Horsehead Nebula Contemporary, 21st Century, Pigment Print, Limited Edition Pigment print Unframed Edition of 25 152 x 89.4 cm (59.9 x 35 in.) Signed and numbered, acco...
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Robert Longo

Materials

Pigment

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

Materials

Silver Gelatin

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Galleries Featuring Robert Longo

Weng Contemporary (ArtXX AG)
4.9
Alpha 137 Gallery
5.0
Michael Lisi/Contemporary Art
5.0
DTR Modern Galleries
5.0
DaMats Fine Art Collaborative
5.0

Artists Similar to Robert Longo

Robert Longo art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Robert Longo art available for sale on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing the collection of art to introduce a pop of color in a neutral corner of your living room or bedroom, you can find work that includes elements of purple, red and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by Robert Longo in pigment print, lithograph, archival pigment print and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the contemporary style. Not every interior allows for large Robert Longo art, so small editions measuring 8 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Yoshitomo Nara, Julian Opie, and Ross Bleckner. Robert Longo art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at £160 and tops out at £180,283, while the average work can sell for £14,497.
Questions About Robert Longo
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    Robert 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, 2022
    With 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.

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