My “Men in the Cities” works are an important part of my history. They have become iconic symbols from a time of urban uniforms and Film Noir attire. Their movements are a cross between Punk Rock dancing and the way characters die in movies.
Robert Longo
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Punk rock dance meets film noir violence, in Robert Longo's snapshot of 80s New York.
Untitled (Eric) revisits an iconic series that has spawned countless pop culture copycats. In the late 70s and early 80s, "Men in the Cities" took the art world by storm. The images of contorted bodies, suspended between pain and pleasure, became emblematic of the Pictures Generation and marked a new era in image-making.
The transposition of medium is central to the artist's practice. Robert constructs his drawings with layer upon layer of black graphite, working his way from light to dark to give new meaning to his original photographs. Similarly, the intricate process behind the print edition involves layers of grayscale separation. This high level of fidelity with the image, unique to silkscreen, results in a floating effect and hyperreal grain texture.
