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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.

Find original Robert Longo art on 1stDibs.

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Artist: Robert Longo
Robert Longo - Men in the Cities 1984 Signed artist-certified photograph, unique
Robert Longo - Men in the Cities 1984 Signed artist-certified photograph, unique

Robert Longo - Men in the Cities 1984 Signed artist-certified photograph, unique

By Robert Longo

Located in New York, NY

Robert Longo, Men in the Cities (Rick) , 1984 - unique artist-certified photographic document, 1992 Vintage photographic print on Kodak paper, with unique artist inscription and cert...

Category

1980s Pop Art Robert Longo Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, Pencil, Graphite

Tillman (huge hand signed lithograph)
Tillman (huge hand signed lithograph)

Tillman (huge hand signed lithograph)

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

RUSSIAN BOMB (SEMIPALATINSK)
RUSSIAN BOMB (SEMIPALATINSK)

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

Robert Longo, Janet (from Men in the Cities) - Signed Photograph
Robert Longo, Janet (from Men in the Cities) - Signed Photograph

Robert Longo, Janet (from Men in the Cities) - Signed Photograph

By Robert Longo

Located in Hamburg, DE

Robert Longo (American, born 1953) Janet (from Men in the Cities), 1981/2016 Medium: Archival pigment print in colours, on Canson Platine fiber paper Dimensions: 47.7 x 35.5 cm Editi...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Robert Longo Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Robert Longo, Eric, NYC: Signed C-Print and Artist's Book
Robert Longo, Eric, NYC: Signed C-Print and Artist's Book

Robert Longo, Eric, NYC: Signed C-Print and Artist's Book

By Robert Longo

Located in Hamburg, DE

Robert Longo (b.1953) Eric, NYC, 1980, 2009 Medium: C-print on photo paper (incl. artist’s book) Dimensions: 25.5 x 18.5 cm (10 × 7 1/4 in) Edition of 100: Hand-signed in black pen

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Robert Longo Photography

Materials

C Print

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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.
Questions About Robert Longo Photography
  • 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.