On view now at the Milwaukee Art Museum, Robert Longo: The Acceleration of History features the ambitiously scaled, hyperrealistic charcoal drawings of internationally acclaimed artist Robert Longo.
Over his long and distinguished career, Longo has explored the impact of images on our understanding of the world. He first gained attention in the 1970s as part of a cohort of artists known as the Pictures Generation. Today, he is widely known for his drawings that reflect on the construction of symbols of power, including images of animals and nature as well as global conflicts and protest movements. Longo renders these works in charcoal at a monumental scale to emphasize the act of looking and, in his words, “slow down the image storm.”
The exhibition at the Milwaukee Art Museum presents nearly 40 drawings, sculptures, and videos created by Longo since 2014, when a new body of work redefined his art. Titled The Destroyer Cycle, the series includes depictions of war, immigration, and climate change. Though based on images from various media sources, Longo’s meticulous drawings are not exact transcriptions. Instead, he combines elements from multiple source images with art historical archetypes and compositional elements in an effort to create what he considers “a perfect image.”
These works possess an urgency not seen before in Longo’s art, highlighting his ability to capture today’s turbulent political and social climate. Also presented in the exhibition are sculptures, videos, and drawings from the Hungry Ghosts and Gang of Cosmos series, all of which embody the broader scrutiny of images central to the artist’s practice, revealing Robert Longo as a crucial interrogator of our time.
Upcoming events related to the exhibition provide numerous opportunities to hear from the artist about his work. On Thursday, November 21, Milwaukee’s Oriental Theatre will host a screening of Johnny Mnemonic, the 1995 feature film directed by Longo, followed by a talk with the artist and Academy Award-winning director John Ridley. On Thursday, February 20, Longo returns to the Milwaukee Art Museum for an Expert Series panel discussion on history painting.
For more information on the exhibition and related programs, visit mam.org.