Robert Longo
American, b. 1953
Mark and Gretchen
From the series Men in the Cities
Edition: 6/45 and 7/45, respectively
1983
Lithograph on paper
Gift of Polly and Mark Addison to the Polly and Mark Addison Collection, 91.04.10-.11
Mark and Gretchen appear to be dancing with abandon. Or perhaps they are falling through space. The combination of their black suits, twisting bodies and hidden faces suggests surprise or violence. In fact, their exaggerated poses are reactions to objects Robert Longo lobbed at them while photographing.
Made in the late 1970s and early ’80s, this series was associated with American “yuppie” culture and seen as a critique of young professionals driven by salaries and material acquisition.
-Body Language: Picturing People, CU Art Museum, July 18, 2019 —June 2020