Robert Longo’s work captures moments of tension in nature, politics and history at their emotional climax. Presented at a monumental scale, the size and virtuoso technique of his photorealistic charcoal drawings enhance his powerful imagery.

Based on photographs and found images, Longo’s drawings tap into cultural and collective memories. In the translation from the intimate drawing process to the massive scale of his final works, his motifs become a powerful presence. Political events and social observations influence his choice of motifs, which he isolates and reduces to heighten their visual impact. Using the stylistic devices of magnification and chiaroscuro, his work can seem equally real and unreal. He emphasises the spatial depth and plasticity of his subjects, using the deep blackness of charcoal on paper to absorb all light. This book presents ninety full- colour images to explore the work of this groundbreaking contemporary artist.

Elsy Lahner is the curator of contemporary art at the Albertina Museum in Vienna.

Klaus Albrecht Schöder is an Austrian art historian and the director of the Albertina, Vienna.