Robert Luongo in Albertina until January 26 » Leadersnet

As a model, he chooses photographs that capture dramatic situations at the most tense moments. The artist is interested in showing power – in nature, politics, history. Longo uses images that have been published thousands of times and have become part of our popular culture and often our collective memory. He isolates and reduces motifs in order to enhance the impact of the image. Thanks to the zoom on the one hand and the direction of the lighting that dramatically intensifies the contrasts of light and dark on the other, we are faced with monumental theatrical images that have never been seen before.

Robert Longo relies on found photographs, takes second-hand reality and creates stunning “copies” of original black-and-white photographs, which, when transformed into large-scale charcoal drawings, render the original forgotten. The dramatic light and shadow effects of the drawings emphasize the fluidity of objects and the depth of space. They make the subject seem both real and unreal. The rich black of the charcoal rubbed onto the paper swallows up any light.

The exhibition can be viewed at the Albertina until January 26, 2025.

www.albertina.at