Robert Longo: "God Machines"

God Machines, an exhibition by the American artist Robert Longo, opens on March 21 at Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac. This will be the artist's first major solo exhibition for Paris in many years.

God Machines is a major installation of three immensely heroic works. Dedicated to the three monotheistic world religions, Longo has created multi-paneled, monumental works depicting images of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, St. Peter's Basilica in Rome and the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem. In each of these artworks is an iconic depiction of a sacred space.

Since the 1970s, the multimedia artist has attracted attention for his manifold work ranging from music, film and video to installation, drawing and sculpture. Perhaps best known for his Men in the Cities series from the early 1980s, he has developed several other distinct bodies of work including: Monsters, The Sickness of Reason, Ophelia.
Like an Old Master artist, Longo achieves an extremely emotional range through his use of chiaroscuro, harnessing light and dark as primary material. His photorealistic drawings are based on images borrowed from the world of media containing a political and social statement. This makes Longo one of today's most important history painters.

Also on view are studies and large-scale, single-panel works of themes like the images of tigers, burqa-clad women, waves, etc..
Robert Longo lives and works in New York City with his wife, German actress Barbara Sukowa, and their three sons.

Robert Longo
"God Machines"
Opening in the presence of the artist, Monday, March 21 from 7pm to 8:30pm
Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, Paris

Robert Longo

Untitled (Mecca), 2011
Charcoal on mounted paper (166 x 252 in)

Untitled (St Peter's), 2011
Charcoal on mounted paper (156 x 300 in)

Untitled (Wailing Wall), 2011
Charcoal on mounted paper (120 x 325 in)

Untitled (White Tiger), 2011
Charcoal on mounted paper (94.5 x 70 in)

Untitled (Barbara in a Burka, Paris 2/2), 2011
Charcoal on mounted paper (96 x 70 in)

Study of Isabella, 2011
Ink and charcoal on velum (23 x 25 7/8 in)

Study of Shark - Gola, 2009
Ink and charcoal on velum (31 3/16 x 29 3/8 in)

Untitled (Rock Band), 2011
Charcoal on mounted paper (48 x 108 in)

All images, courtesy of the artist and Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, Paris/Salzburg

This post is also featured on The Huffington Post