Robert Longo

Robert Longo is known for large-scale, hyperrealistic charcoal portraits that consider power, authority, and social unrest. In the early 1980s, Longo earned acclaim for his bold “Men in the Cities” series, which features business-suited subjects posed in uncanny contortions. Since then, he has depicted scenes from the Occupy Wall Street movement, the aftermath of the Charlie Hebdo shooting in Paris, Black Lives Matter protests, and refugee migrations. A member of the loose cohort of Pictures Generation artists who repurpose mass media images in their artwork, Longo has drawn on photographs and art historical works for inspiration. He often uses a monochromatic palette, carefully building his charcoal surfaces to create a sense of depth and contrast. Longo has exhibited at the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, the Brooklyn Museum, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, among other institutions. On the secondary market, his work has sold for seven-figure prices. Longo’s practice also includes photography, performance, and sculpture.